Rome Blvd Road Race

The Skinny
5 mile time--29:39
place--5th (division 2nd)
pace--5:56
1--6:05
2--6:07
3--6:06
4--5:41
5--5:38


The Report
I started off conservatively because I didn't know how my back would react.  I've been running all slow miles lately and haven't been feeling that great.  Pleasantly, the back felt fantastic.  I still played in cautiously over the first mile but passed a bunch of people that went out too hard.


I told myself to just keep it in control for the first 3.  At around 2.5, I noticed a couple of guys starting to come back to me.  I passed one at 3 and the other at a little before 3.5.  This actually made me feel better and I kept going.  I turned the corner at 4 and heard the timer yell "24."  So I made up the 18 seconds or so that was putting me over 6.00 pace.  My buddy and sometime trainer partner, Martin, was up ahead and I caught up to him too.  Like me, he is coming off an injury and really wasn't racing.


I tried to take it easy the last mile, full knowing this wasn't the race too be a hero, but the 5th mile was my fastest.  I'll take that.  The best news of all is that I ended this race feeling pretty good.  I have been running so slow in training lately; it just felt good to open it up a bit.  And the back seemed fine during the race.  The real test will be tomorrow.  I hope it's not back to square one.  Cross those fingers.


Post-race was good.  My friend Dan was there and he was making his debut as a road racer.  He put up a respectable performance.  No doubt he'll be doing a few more in the future.  For 2nd place in my division, I won a foot massage roller.  Add it to the collection!