Here are some thoughts: 1) Do not stress/worry when one race is slower than a previous one. It happens. 2) Read and join the Goal of sub 20 5k thread. It is great motivation. Copy/paste and then live by the first post on page six. good luck

I want to thank you all for your advice. It made a difference. I am delinquent in getting out a response, but here goes now: My last 5K (Dec. 6) was a 21.47 - a nice improvement over my last 2 5K's at 22.19 each. I took your advice and increased my weekly mileage (ran my first half-marathon too), but still added in a little speedwork. I also used the "sticky note" as a guide for the week of the race. My first 2 miles of the race felt pretty good (a 7.09 and 7.04 - Note: If this seems slow to some, I have only been training since Spring 2007). My last mile and beyond I paced by feel since I now had more endurance (a 6.52 pace for the last mile). With about 3/4 of a mile to go I started to lose my peripheral vision (gray on the outside and blurry in the middle). I could tell where I was and just kept running to the finish. I reasoned that someone would pick me up if I passed out - not sure if this was wise or not, but was soooo glad to finish. (Anyone ever had this happen?) My hope is to increase my mileage this Winter. I've always liked going fast for short distances, but now I'm enjoying those long runs - though I do find it challenging to run them slowly. Thanks again.

I want to thank you all for your advice. It made a difference. I am delinquent in getting out a response, but here goes now: My last 5K (Dec. 6) was a 21.47 - a nice improvement over my last 2 5K's at 22.19 each. I took your advice and increased my weekly mileage (ran my first half-marathon too), but still added in a little speedwork. I also used the "sticky note" as a guide for the week of the race. My first 2 miles of the race felt pretty good (a 7.09 and 7.04 - Note: If this seems slow to some, I have only been training since Spring 2007). My last mile and beyond I paced by feel since I now had more endurance (a 6.52 pace for the last mile). With about 3/4 of a mile to go I started to lose my peripheral vision (gray on the outside and blurry in the middle). I could tell where I was and just kept running to the finish. I reasoned that someone would pick me up if I passed out - not sure if this was wise or not, but was soooo glad to finish. (Anyone ever had this happen?) My hope is to increase my mileage this Winter. I've always liked going fast for short distances, but now I'm enjoying those long runs - though I do find it challenging to run them slowly. Thanks again.

Nice job! The tunnel vision syndrome occurs when your brain isn't getting enough oxygen. It is a sign that you are working really, really hard! I have had this happen when doing a time trial on a rowing ergometer, but never while running. Usually, people only experience this when using more than one large muscle group (rowing requires legs, back, and arms) at a high level of intensity. Basically, your muscles rob your brain of oxygen. Kind of interesting, but it sure hurts!

What does a typical week look like for you? _______________ Check out these links to get suggestions on pacing based on your current (not goal) race times: http://runbayou.com/jackd.htm http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/mcmillanrunningcalculator.htm http://www.therunzone.com/ntrz/?page_id=221 I think the majority of miles should be slower than the "easy" pace the above links suggest. What pace is the majority of your miles?

You are stressing about the time you *think* you are going to get in your next 5K. My suggestion: trust your training, run the race, and then decide if things are not going the way you want. Let everyone know how it goes.

Soprano, the only time I've gotten side stitches was when I ate something with too much fiber, then drank too much Gatorade in the hours before a run. Look back over everything you ate and when, starting with the morning of the day before. You may be able to find a pattern if it happens again. Don't let the race get you down. Everyone has good days and off days. A lot of things factor into that, too, that you have no control over. (Course, weather, etc.) Or, you may have just been kind of worn out that day. If you felt crummy and had to walk a bit, that still wasn't a bad time. It was smart to take the 2nd one easier, too. Plus, it puts you at an advantage for your next race: Chances are that it will be a whole lot better that this one!