Running (Auburn 5k) 56:00 [5] 7.8 mi (7:11 / mi)
slept:8.0
Moved into my new place all day. Didn't eat lunch or drink anything either. I felt like crap on the warm-up with Jeff. Before I thought that just under 17 was reasonable for me. After the 12 minute (1.5mi) warm-up, I thought that under 18 was out of the question. There was no countdown (or instructions that I could hear) and without warning, the horn went off. Ben and I were facing the other direction and talking. After asking around if that was really the start, we were already 30 meters behind! Ridiculous! Jeff and I sat in ~10-15th place for the first 800m. We were talking a little and I felt better. I then knew that under 18 was definitely going to happen. So I focused on relaxing and keeping everyone in sight. I knew that they would come back to me. I really wanted to have a strong finish today instead of having people pass me in the end. So I gradually moved up throughout and at 2mi (10:37), I knew that under 17 was a possibility. I passed 3 guys shortly after, then made my surge. I knew that they had been easing up while I reeled them in, and that if I didn't build a gap now, that they would probably out kick me in the end. So that's what I did. I think it paid off because the 16 year old from Stadium latched on and I could hear him the last 800m. I never let him come up to my side and in the end, I was able to hold him off. Ben was 1st in 16:05, then me in 16:45, and Jeff back in 18:15.