race report 6/14

Village Fair 5K - 16:07, 1st place. In one word: Relief. Although I kept telling myself that there were legitimate reasons for disappointing times at the last two races - some combination of weather, course length/difficulty, and running with a substantial lead - there's always that little voice that keeps repeating doubts: "Maybe it wasn't circumstances. Maybe that really is as fast as you can run. Maybe you are so far past your prime and a seasonal peak that, from now on, anything under 17:00 will be considered a good day."

So yes, I was quite relieved to post a 16:07. A friend from GNRC with a GPS watch recorded 3.04 miles, but I'd be happy even if my time had been 16:27 for a full 5K because last year I was 16:49. In other words, regardless of how long it was, the course didn't change and my time improved by 42 seconds. And if I can make it through another year of solid training, maybe next year I'll be ready for the USATF-NE championships instead of this race. I just have to keep ignoring that little voice.