43:17

pace: 9:07, 8:56, 8:48, 8:32, 7:53

it came...it went...and it was fun. i finally ran my first race that was more than a 5k, and i actually beat my goal time!

the race was freaking huge. i couldn't believe how many people were there. i had to do a lot of maneuvering throughout the entire race, but it was still fun. i looked up and saw all of the people ahead of me and thought we'd spread out eventually, but 25,000 runners and only 4.97 miles doesn't really allow much time for the congestion to die down.

that last hill up roosevelt is a dirty, dirty bitch. luckily, there was a guy who was coaching a friend up the hill, and he kept yelling at her to pump her arms and lift her knees. little did he know, he was coaching me too.

the end was fucking sweet. i felt like crap after the hill, but they had signs marking 300m, 200m and 100m. whether it was the sprinter in me or just the adrenalin, thinking about that last stretch as a 300m sprint helped my kick a lot.

at the end, there was this older guy who was so happy to be there. he just kept smiling at everyone and telling them congratulations. i chatted with him a bit, and he said he's getting ready for a 50k next weekend. he's probably 30 years older than i am...fucking bad ass.

my achilles still hurts, and my hammy is tight...but who cares. that was the most fun i've had in a long time.