Notes
Up until the very start of the race, I wasn't sure if I was actually going to be racing, or if I was going to be running it with one of my high school-aged cousins. I made the choice to race it when I was standing next to a couple of UCLA guys who had just raced at DI Nationals and were talking to each other about how they didn't think there was any competition so they could just tempo it. In their defense, I was wearing a t-shit and K-Swiss shoes.
Race didn't go off really fast, and by the top of the first big hill, it was just me and the top UCLA guy. I was feeling really relaxed and decided to put a surge going up the next hill. By ten seconds into my surge, I was clear of the UCLA guy and running solo. Through the first two miles, I kept the effort pretty high, but going down the big hill in the last mile of the race, I kept it pretty relaxed and didn't push it.
Happy with how the race went. No problem in the hamstrings or ankle during the race, though the quads and hammies were definitely a little tight after.