Notes
Pretty sure I'd win from the get-go, but you never know what people are capable of. I set the pace immediately but basically started out 3 abreast for a 1/2 mile. I then settled back and drafted. First mile in 5:07.
Just kidding, the mile marker was way off. GPS came in 20sec later with a 5:28 first mile. My legs had still been feeling jello-ish, but things were starting to feel better. After the mile came an underpass, the downhill allowed me to stride out slightly and the uphill felt great (fyi, this was still a very very flat course). I took the lead here and started ticking off 5:23 miles.
The next 3 miles were mostly smooth (1 near-hiccup but smoothly made it through a racers intersection). I was feeling strong and stayed consistent for the most part.
Right before the 4-mile mark was a 180 turn. Never a great feeling but it did give me a look at the competition. 2 new guys were in pursuit and it seemed like they were only 10 seconds back! It was probably really like 20+ seconds but it lit my fire and I picked up the pace. I cruised the final lonely stretch before seeing Hero unexpectedly with 200m to go. So I gave him a show and kicked it in. Last mile in 5:13.
This did end up being a legit 8k distance, so 2nd best time ever. Perfect conditions and a faster course than my last 8k with Rebel, but I'm going with the narrative that things are getting good.
*Loop the Lake