I ran my first cross country race since 2008 today. I didn't expect much because I have either been sick or dealing with symptoms of overtraining over the last month or so. The course the race was on is really slow due to lots of hills so I decided to go out at about 3:20 kilometer pace (about 5:20 mile pace) with the goal of finishing around 26:40. The race started and I went through the first kilometer in 3:18, followed by a 3:22 for the second kilometer (lots of steep hills during this kilometer). I felt like the effort was really easy during these two kilometers, even thinking to myself that it didn't feel like a race because it felt so easy. The third kilometer still felt semi easy, but I did feel like I was starting to work a little more. I ran a 3:23 for the third kilometer, followed by a 3:22 for the fourth. At the end of the fourth kilometer I started to get some abdominal cramps, and in general I started to feel pretty cruddy. The second half of the race was completely different from the first. I ran the fifth kilometer in the 3:27-3:29 range (16:52-54 for 5k). I was passed by 3 people during the fifth kilometer, and by another at the beginning of the sixth kilometer. One runner dropped out just as I was passing him, and I felt envious that he was able to take the easy way out and just quit. The sixth kilometer was between 3:35-3:37. I was surprised that I had slowed down so much, but generally I just felt tired. I didn't hurt, I didn't feel like I was pressing hard, but I also didn't feel like I could go any faster. The seventh kilometer was a 3:33, with another runner catching me just before this mark, and pulling away a couple hundred meters later. The last kilometer is probably the fastest of the race as it is flatter than any other kilometer of the race, while there is a long stretch to the finish so guys start their kicks really early. At the beginning of the final kilometer I was just hoping to break 27:30 (it would have taken a 3:28 final kilometer to do this), but out of nowhere I was able to speed up and I closed out the race with a 3:11 final kilometer to finish in 27:13, holding off another runner that was trying to pass me in the process. This race was really strange to be completely honest. It felt so easy early on, I slowed down a ton in the middle, and somehow I was able to speed up by over 20 seconds from the penultimate to the final kilometer. I will look at this in a semi-positive light, as it tells me that once I do get my fitness back the potential is still there to really run well. I think that I just need to really focus on staying consistent and staying patient so that I don't overdo things. | 