Holy shit!  5:30 is early.  I only went to bed at 12:30 and now I have to get up for this race.  I wonder if it is supposed to rain.  No…damnit.  I guess I do have to go.  Ok, shoes…check, shorts, shirt…check.  I need something to eat and some coffee.  At lease coffee.  I run best with coffee.  Ok lets go.  Sonic has coffie.  I will have a bacon, egg, and cheese toster sandwich…I won’t be burping that for the whole race.  Damnit, 2 miles down the road and I see they have given me sausage instead of bacon.  Bastards.  Well, I have to eat something. 2 hours till race so maybe I’ll be safe.  Not many people at the race yet.  Bathrooms are open…thank god.  There’s Rod.  Time to warm up on the track.  Feels nice and cool out.  1 mile in and the humidity has me huffing and sweating like a mad man.  Wanted to run at least a 23:00 in preparation for the Lake Shore Church 5k in two weeks.  I want to beat my best time of 22:41 that I got there last year.  With the humidity I may have to settle for a 24:00.  Race time.  Shit, Joe is not here.  I was counting on him for my first mile or two pace.  Oh well.  I will set my own pace.  Here we go.  This pace seems ok…maybe a little fast.  Guess I will know at the one mile marker.  Shit, I am puffing only half a mile in.  I think I can hold it though.  Bloody hell! 6:45 at the one mile.  Usually run it in 7:15.  To damn fast.  Ok hold it for as long as you can damnit.  Damn, Jeff is passing me.  Thats ok, I will just draft off of him for as long as I can.  Its getting harder to get enough oxygen.  Legs feel good though.  There is the 2 mile marker.  14 something.  Shit if I can hold a decent pace I have a chance of beating my personal best here.  That would be cool.  Damn my mouth is dry…where the fuck is the water stations.  I think if I walk for 5 seconds I can hold a good pace for the last mile.  Ok 5 seconds is up.  Maintain the distance between me and Jeff.  Ok, I can do this.  Shit this is a long straight away….curve….another impossibly long straight away.  What the fuck was I thinking.  This is torture.  Can see the finish line.  Shit, I’m gonna make it.  22:37.  I did it!  Ok, breath…breath….breath….need something to drink before I start dryheaving.  Rod rolls in in 24:08 looking strong.  Wish Larry had came.  Great run.  5 minutes later and I feel great. Can’t wait for the next race.  2 weeks.  I think I can beat 22:37 there.

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