Fourth of July today, and with it comes races. It was also my first day of 14, which turns out isn't really that bad. But that could just be because it was so split up because of the race. I did a two mile warm up just easy at 8 minute pace and then stretches and a few stride outs. I started the race out with a lot of guys, but pretty soon into the race it separated to just 4 of us, connor, the twins jirdaa and jirda, and I. We all stayed together for awhile until about 2 miles in and then connor made a move out front and one of the twins tried to go out with him while the other fell behind me. After about a half mile the twin in front looked back at his brother, yelled at him to pick it up and then when he didn't, used it as an excuse to drop back with him. From then on out I was all alone 10k runner wise. I was surrounded by all of the 5krs of course, but they were all walking or just jogging along and on the other side of the road. I had this guy in green in my sights the whole time tho and I tried to stay the same distance and make up ground on him, but I wasn't paying that much attention to him to remember if I did or not. I felt strong going up the hills and I was able to maintain a fast pace on the flats and pick it up on the down hill. I'm glad I didn't go over 6 minutes for a split at all during the race, but I did get close. I closed with a good sprint and I'm actually really happy with how I preformed and did. Im pretty sure I was the first high schooler who lives in state, green shirt guy is from california, to pass the finish line so thats cool. I cooled down at a sub 7:30 pace, 7:11. I had to go up some pretty gnarly hill on my cool down and I think I was running up the foothills the whole time, but I never went over 7:30 pace and coming back down was good. It's amazing to think that just last track season cooling down at that pace wouldn't have been thinkable, but now it feels totally normal and good. Maybe its because it's so much slower than my race and "easy" run paces that it really has become my recovery pace and I'm pretty excited about that and what it means. Haha even if the rest of the guys aren't quite as thrilled about it as I am.
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