Apparently I am an Idiot

Well I get to the race site at 6:30AM for what I miss read and ended up being an 9AM start for the actual race.  Oops.  That was a shocked for me at least.  I am guessing everyone else read the WHOLE email where it probably stated an 9AM start time.  So I get my packet, listen to some music and get myself ready.  As usual before any race I am constantly going to the restroom.  I am not sure if it is nerves or what but whatever it is it is a ritual for me.  And once the race starts I suddenly no longer have to use the restroom.  Strange.  Anyway.

I said to myself here is the goal.  Take it easy, run about 11 minute mile because no need to hurt yourself or your calves, just finish in one piece and get some beer.  Pretty simple goal you would think.  And pretty simple to follow through with as well you would think.  But oh no not me.  Because I am an idiot apparently.  As Diane would always say "don't just start out fast" and inside she is probably thinking idiot as well.  :)

So she would probably be right but again moving on.  I started the race at an 8:20 first mile and a second mile of 9:20 and both of those were far faster than my goal time.  I know that no one sets a goal of actually going slower than they normally run but yes that was still my goal.  I finished the race with my fastest 5K since the Christmas run in 2012.  And far faster than what I was thinking I would do.  Apparently I like to follow women in ponytails and then just coast off of their pace.  I probably should start trying to find slower women with ponytails I guess.  I tweaked my back a little. Very little but it did cause me to have to stop a couple of times during the run to walk and get it back to feeling better.  Which would also mean that my actual race pace was better than my ending pace of 9:16 per mile since those few times I had to walk would have slower me down, of course.  But I finished the race in 28:38 and for me that was pretty fast and a lot faster than I wanted.

But all in all I finished with no calves problems and I doubt my back will bother me tomorrow.  So that is great.  Now it is on to a quick nap and then prepare for tomorrow's sprint tri.