It was a great day for a 5K run on the trail in St. Germain. This was my fourth time doing the Freedom 5K, having participated in 2008, 2009, and 2010. Though the course is on a trail through the woods, it's not too rugged, so fast times are possible.
For the first time I can recall, I ran the race without my GPS. I accidentally left it on earlier in our trip up north, so it didn't have the power. I couldn't pace exactly where I wanted, but I got help from watch-wearers around me.
My main goal was a personal best, and my stretch goal was to break 20 minutes. That would be a tall order, given my best 5K to date was barely under 21 minutes.
I pressed harder than usual in the first mile. I tend to ease back and let lots of people pass me in the early going of a 5K, but this time I was holding my own from the beginning. I felt okay, but not super-great after reaching the first mile mark. A nearby runner said '6:25', which is on pace to finish in 20 minutes. Whoa, could I actually do this?
I pushed it again in the second mile, and I was under 13:00 with a mile to go. I was feeling it down the stretch, and a few runners passed me with the finish line in view. However, I held it together for a finish in 20:34, which is more than twenty second off my personal best. I wouldn't call it a total victory, but I was very happy with my performance. It was good enough for third place in my age group. Woohoo!
