Notes
Marion Arts Festival 5k. Birch and I got out at a decent pace but it was pretty comfortable for everyone. Nick Bowerman and Tyler Sullivan jumped in right behind us and I really wasn't sure how this race would play out. Shortly after the mile marker I started to pick it up a little. I didn't really feel like crushing it on the gradual downhill though so I just got into a better rhythm but didn't try to drop anyone. Then came one of the bigger hills in the race. I decided I was feeling pretty good and would just give it a shot. So I took off up the hill and got a pretty solid lead on everyone throughout the next half mile or so. I think I 5-10m on Birch for part of this and the other 2 had fallen off more than that. I tried to keep it rolling but Birch kept the gap pretty much the same for the entire second mile and then slowly brought me back at the start of the 3rd mile. This also included a slip (not a fall) by me at the end of bridge that allowed him to make back the last couple meters quickly. The last half mile or so is a gradual climb and I figured I would give it another try since I didn't think beating Birch at the end would work. Birch was breathing a lot harder than me, and I was able to get 3-5m on him again but near a flat section, the finish came into view, and I think Birch was able to start picking it up at that point. He got even with me at about 400 to go and I answered for a few steps but realized I really couldn't keep up with that pace. I probably could have fought to keep it closer to 2 seconds or so, but after I realized I had second wrapped up I coasted in a little easier than usual.
Overall, I feel good about the race, and had the finish been around a corner or not visible from 600m plus I might have been able to hold Birch off. Maybe taking off from the gun would have been the way to go to. I wasn't sure of my fitness but I was definitely the one in control of the pace the entire race. It also wasn't super fast, but the conditions weren't great and we didn't start off at 5k pace. They also added on a short section in the cemetery that I hadn't done before so I'm not sure if that was accounted for somewhere else or if it was a longer race than last year.