This race was crazy. It was 75 degrees at the start, way warmer than I am used to. My sister was going to bring me the bib, but she didn't show up until 2 minutes before the race. I thought I was going to have to run naked! I started off at the front, but it felt really slow, so I just took off. I was still ahead at the turn onto University, and to my utter surprise, I stayed in front all the way down the street! Mile 1 passed at 5:07 and I was still in front, but feeling really overheated.
The instant it went to the slightest uphill the pack I didn't know I was a part of slid slowly past me. My original strategy was to go out fast (Duh) and wait for Robert to pass me, then glom on to him no matter what and let him make a new PR for me. But he passed me right in the transition to uphill and I just couldn't dig any deeper. Mile 2 slowed down to 5:50, not too bad for uphill, but the real uphill was yet to come and it felt like I was in a tropical jungle. It took a lot of willpower to make it up that 9th east hill but I did it, and as I turned the corner to the finish I could see that the clock still said 17 something. Oh crap 17:42! It's so far and all uphill... I don't care, I can't let it show 18. I gave everything I had, which I was already doing, and it seemed like the 17:59 second just stretched out forever. I dinged my watch as I crossed, and it said 17:59.92. Ha!
Amazingly, Robert won the whole race. I guess I should have had more faith in myself and tried to stick with him. Of course I would probably be dead now but that's just a minor detail...
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