5K Races

It's time to race 5Ks. The Bellaire Trolley Run is coming us Saturday the 10th, then the local Brazosport College Gator Gallop on the 17th, and finally the Freeport Flapjack 5K on the 24th. I'm looking forward to these races. I don't think a PR is likely, but I have a decent shot at an age-graded 80%. As a 50 year-old, I need to run 18:26. If I geek out and use my fractional age, I only need an 18:33. It's sub-6 pace, but just by a few seconds. My strategy for running a 5K is simple:
1) run a decently paced first mile
2) struggle and push hard through the second mile
3) if I hear 11-something at the 2-mile mark, gut out the last mile
4) try and catch up to the next person and keep the clock from ticking too much in the last 188 yards

I ran a decent tempo run Tuesday morning. A 12:54 and a 12:51 for 2x2M isn't very fast, but it's the best Tuesday-Tempo I've run since April 2008.

This NY Times article is pretty close to my philosophy on going to doctors for running injuries.