Gaspee Days 5k

This was an exciting one!  The race takes place amidst the Gaspee Days Parade in Cranston, RI.  This parade commemorates the 1772 burning of the British revenue schooner Gaspee in Pawtuxet Cove ahead of the Revolutionary War (Boston.com).  I had put in a solid workout the Tuesday before the race: 2 mile repeat, 800m, 4 x 400m, 800m.  This went well and I ran solid late in this workout during the 400s and last 800.  I then did a light 8 x 1:00 hard workout on Thursday.  The Gaspee Days 5k would be on Saturday.  I took the Friday before the race very easy and felt reasonably good heading into the race.  I am still looking to improve on my 17:24 personal best, which I ran last February in the middle of marathon training.  I know I am in very good shape now, as I am running faster in my workouts than I have ever done before.  My plan for the race was to try and go out conservatively, meaning 5:30, and try and hold this pace.  Three miles at 5:30 would place me at 16:30 and then I would cut it very close to the 17:00 barrier.  Race morning was met with some sunshine.  The original forecast called for possible rain or clouds but the weather turned out a little warmer with the temperature being in the low 60s.  I executed my race plan well in the first mile.  I went out right at 5:30.  Looking back on this, I should have tried to run 5-10 seconds faster and stick with the small pack of runners in front of me.  At the first mile, I was running with a small group of about three other runners who fell of the pace shortly after.  Then, I was all alone.  The second mile featured a gradual downhill followed by the same uphill, as I hit the turnaround point on the course.  The uphill took something out of me and I slowed to a 5:46 mile.  Too slow.  I did a 5 mile tempo at 5:46 pace before the Boston Marathon.  My third mile was even worse, right around 6:00.  It did, however, include a decently sized hill at the end of the race which did not help.  My sprint to the finish was fine.  I ran the .1 in 31 seconds, proving I still had something left in my legs but should have tried to use it in the second and third miles.  I keep putting myself through these shorter races and have not seen any improvement of late.  I expect a lot from myself but my last two races were 18:03 and 17:52 (time for Gaspee Days).  This is where I was last summer.  I have not felt right since Boston.  I have not felt the same "pop" in my legs I felt throughout the marathon build-up.  My workouts were much longer and I was running fast.  I recently ran a sub-5:00 track mile and have put in some quality workouts.  I am hoping that I will see everything come together very soon.  It is difficult to train as hard as I do (or as hard as I think I do) and to not see the concrete results of my hard work.  This brings me to the present.  I am running a 5k tomorrow night and have the opportunity to give myself a break.  I have a chance to cheat a little bit.  I am running the Hollis Fast 5k.  This is the USATF New England Championship for the Grand Prix Series at the distance.  The course is very fast.  It is a point to point course that drops 224 feet from start to finish.  Last year, I ran 17:28 and grabbed 1st in my age group.  I was really in 18:00 shape at that point last summer but let the course work its magic.  I feel like I am knocking on the 17:00 barrier on the right day.  That day is tomorrow.  If I get the right day and run a good race I should see an end result that will make me happy.  Even if it is not "official" it would still pick me up and help improve my attitude right now.  I have been letting my nerves get the best of me lately.  I have given in too early in the races I have run.  Not tomorrow.