Notes
A good race? Great race? Not sure. I'm probably (defintely?) in 8:50 shape right now. A crappy week of sleep and on the tail end of being sick gave me a little hesitancy to just go for it. And I was a bit peeved I was in the 2nd heat (and seeded 10th in that!). The first heat was pretty mixed and had a group hit around 8:40-8:44.
I wanted to hit straight 35s. My heat went out fast and I was in last at 35 on the button. We hit 36 or so on the second lap so I made a pretty quick burst and moved up to 5th or so. That lap was again around 35, but there's a difference between 35.0 and 35.X and I think I was about 2:27 or so by the half. I was a bit frustrated that the lead had slowly drifted off pace to 36s. Others were too and some people started moving up on my shoulder at 1200. I didn't want to make another move yet, but I probably should have. I held 5th through about 2000 and then I made a 2nd move and moved into 2nd place. The leader must have wanted to run 35s as his coach was telling him he was on pace at 34.9. I thought I'd be able to just hold on and salvage a 8:56 or so if I kept hitting 35s.
The biggest break through of the race was with about 600 to go I was starting to feel really tired and I was thinking that I could either a) give up just float along b) try and hold pace behind the lead runner or c) do what I came to do and race like a champ. I went for c) and came up on his shoulder right at the bell and passed on the turn. I think I closed in about 29 or 30, which felt pretty good. It was sooooo much fun to run fast.