Notes
WR Elite 5k, 14:57.15 official time, 16th place out of 25
Watch GPS Splits: 4:40, 4;47, 4:49, :42 (4:12 pace)
Course Chip Splits: 4:45.75, 4:51.85, 5:19.55 (last 1.1, 4:48 pace)
Honestly pretty damn happy with how this went. The past week+ I have been feeling pretty unmotivated and not really into running so I wasn't sure how that would affect me going into this race. Felt pretty good on the warm up and strides so was encouraged standing on the start line
I started a bit in the middle of the pack on the line, and once the race started people were flying by me like crazy. I knew I was running faster than the planned 4:50 first mile, but around 1k in I looked around and I was in 24th out of 25 guys lol. Passed a couple guys between 1k and a mile and was probably in 22nd going through the mile in 4:46-ish. Felt pretty good at that point. Just tried to maintain pace around the windy second mile and avoid getting tangled up in anyone else's legs.
Nothing too notable happened in from the 1st mile split until like half a mile to go. Was just running hard and passing the occasional dude who was coming back. With a maybe .75 mile to go a Wartburg kid named Matt Schneider came by me and gapped me a bit. I just tried to maintain the gap he made and knew if I kept it that close I'd be able to kick and pass him in the last 100. Just held on until that point then kicked hard just past the 3 mile mark and passed the Schneider kid and Nolan Zimmer before the line to finish 16th.
5k's are fast and over quick and this was a good reminder of that. I was only 1 second off my PR and was super happy to run under 15 given my training and motivation lately. I have a lot of confidence that with a solid and healthy training block I could have been up with Austin and Jay around the 14:20 range, gonna give some 5k training a go over the winter and spring so hopefully I can make that a reality next spring
After the race I was at my car changing shoes and I heard the Schneider kid on the phone with someone and I heard him say "I beat Jason Thomas by like 3 seconds!" so I had to yell over to him and let him know that that wasn't true, so kinda awkward but whatever lol