S5E61 Elderton 5k 1st Overall

Held up better than expected. My hamstring didn’t really start bothering me until the drive home. With the issues I’ve been dealing with lately, I honestly wasn’t sure how this race was going to go, but I wanted to test it out. I also got to try some new gear that I’m really happy with so far. We took off way too fast. There are always a ton of kids lined up near the front at this race, so the start is chaotic and you spend the first part dodging people. We were rolling at around 4:40 pace for the first 30 seconds before settling back into a steadier 5:30 pace. I remember thinking, “What the hell are we doing?” By about .2 miles in, I had moved into 2nd place. I was probably around five seconds behind 1st, trying to stay close without completely blowing myself up. I kept him within range. When we hit the uphill section around the square block loop, I could see him start to fade pretty quickly. I closed the gap and by the time we crested the hill, I was ready to make the move. Once things leveled out a bit, I passed him at exactly 1.59 miles into the race. At the time, I wasn’t sure if it was the smartest move or not, but I went with it because I never really changed pace or form. I was still running controlled and consistent. I also had no idea what the guy was capable of, so I just kept pressing and hoped I could hang on until the next incline. My thinking was if he caught back up, maybe he’d fade again on the hill. As we came back past the start/finish area, I tried to push a little harder to open the gap, though I had no clue what was happening behind me. With around .6 left, heading into the turnaround, I grabbed some water, splashed some on myself, and took a drink. It helped immediately — I felt noticeably cooler. I did lose a little momentum at the turnaround since it was tight around a cone, but when I looked back, I figured I had maybe an 8-second lead. Close enough that I couldn’t relax. Then came the final uphill — the same spot I struggle with every year. I still haven’t figured out why because it’s not even that steep or difficult, but it always gets me. I started choking and coughing a bit and had to back off slightly. I knew if I went into one of my full choking fits, I’d probably lose the race, so I stayed controlled and managed it. Once I crested the hill with about .3 left, I tried to hammer it home, but honestly it didn’t feel like I was moving any faster. Somehow the gap had actually widened on the uphill though, so I just focused on getting to the finish. This was probably the coolest weather this race has ever had — around 60 degrees but felt closer to 50. Usually it’s sunny, humid, and 80+. There was also the biggest crowd I’ve ever seen there and a lot of friends around too, which made it even better. The time itself sucked, but I’ll take it with the win. It honestly felt like I was running a 17-minute 5K effort, so seeing a time closer to 19 was kind of shocking, though also somewhat expected given everything lately. Most importantly, I’m just glad the hamstring held up. Still probably a few weeks away from running real distance again. #speed #nature #life #nba #tutorial #mlb #funny #comedy #outdoors #beautytips #submarine #beauty #fashion #productreview #healthcoach #tips #tricks #fitnessjourney #mind #motivation #inspiration #drinks #food #foodies #education #children #learning #entertainment #vlog #gaming