Good Omen: White Deer Dash 5k

I knew that the race would go well for me when the handed me my bib: #29!  I went to look over the course and pick up my packet on Friday before the race.  The course looked pretty good.  It seemed fairly flat, just like my work buddy, who I was running with had said.  So, I felt really good about my prospects for getting 27 minutes.  I am not sure why 27 minutes becames improtant to me, but it had become my goal time and was all that I could think about. 

The morning of the race was pretty much perfect not that humid and my legs felt alright.  The achilles felt good but my quads seem a little tight from the run on Thursday.  But, overall I was still really optimistic, a little nervous but optimistic.  This would be the first timed race for both me and my friend from work, so neither of us really know what to expect.  They were using chips,  so I felt good that I would get an accurate time.  The starting line was not where we thought and was down a little slope, nothing big, but we would still start out with an incline that we had not expected.  But, over all the start was fine, but one difficulty was that someone seemed to drowned themselves in bug spray, and I was running in thier vapor trail for most of the first mile.  Also, my quads felt pretty tight and my legs were heavy at the start.  My legs started to feel better by about a mile and a half, but by now I had begun to notice that the course had more of an inclines to it than I thought.  Still, I was going fine by my watch.  I had done the first mile in around 9mins and the second around eight. 

The third mile went by without me even really noticing, there was a good size slope and two long stright stretches. Once I got to just before the 3m mile mark, I could feel that I was starting to pick up the paced.  I was about to look at my watch when this old guy went by me.  I didn't even here him coming.  He was like a ninja!!! I was right behind him when we turned the last corner, so I opened it up and went right by him and a young guy who was stopped and thowing up alongside the pathway.  I looked at the race clock a little was out and saw 26:26!!  So ,I turned it on and came in at 26:30.8!!!! I am so happy with this time!  Nearly a full 2mins off of my last race time!  I was beat when I finished, but I kept moving because I thought that If I stopped that I would fall over.  My freind came in just over his goal time, but he still did really well.  Most importantly, we are both already talking about our next 5k.  Mine will be on Oct. 9th and my goal will be 26 minutes flat.