A C R Another Club Record

Chalk another one up to me,my pr of 17.03 from my last 5,000m in 05 gone,the club record of 16.29.7.gone and frankly I'm just getting warmed up!!
One advantage of a meet at my home track was being able to pace myself all day,the 5,000m was scheduled for 5pm,and I figured I didn't need to be there till 3pm so a leisurely day was on tap,I got up around 8.30am and made breakfast and enjoyed coffee and oj while watching what may well be the Premier League decider between Man Utd and Chelsea,2.1 to Chelsea leaving them 2 points ahead w/ 5 games to go.
Then for the important game Sunderland vs Spurs,there's always a risk watching your team b4 a race,win and you're jacked up,lose you could be deflated....we lost 3.1 but rather than be deflated I opted to put my disappointment into the race and take my frustrations out over 12 and 1/2 laps.

I left home at 2.30pm and took an easy walk to 33rd and Spruce and arrived by 3.10pm,the meet was running ahead so I was instructed to report back at 4pm for check in,I killed 50 mins in the south stand watching 400m hurdles and 200m b4 returning to the infield to check in.
I did my mile warm up on the infield b4 returning for hip and chest #.
The field had shrunk from 41 to 35 and I was now seeded #28,aside from not having ran a 5,000m since July 24th 05 I was a little concerned how I'd handle a race w/ 35 runners period much less running in 5 lanes....I needn't have worried on either count!

Conditions were sunny and warm when the starters pistol went off at 4.45pm and despite the crowded field I worked my way through the opening 200m in 35 seconds on route to a 74 second opening lap....according to the time caller anyways,frankly I was too preoccupied weaving my way up from 34th place and into the middle of the second pack.
4.58 at the mile more or less where I wanted to be as the field began to string out I worked my way up to the lead of the second pack,this was never about position,it was always about time and thus far I was holding my own.
I ran a smart race,pace wise,tactics wise,yeah there's room for improvement but for a somewhat novice at 5,000m and lest we forget being twice the age of almost the entire 35 man field I did more than hold my own.

10.14 I think at 2 miles unlike my Eastern Regional Indoor 3,000m on March 6th when I got caught in no mans land from the get go today I was always in contact w/ the runners ahead of me,I had done a good job of remaining focused on the runners around me and not counting down laps or fixating on splits/pace,feeling good and going along for the ride.
W/ 3 1/2 laps to go I began to feel the first signs fatigue,suck it up it's 1,400m I told myself.
Even though the race had started on the north side of the track where I usually start my 600m,1,000m and mile repeats it would finish on the south side where my 600m and 1,000m repeats finish,when it came time to drop the hammer w/ 200m to go I'd know what it felt like to hammer the top turn and drive up the home straight.

I forget what the bell lap was when I went through it now it was just a matter of seeing it through to the finish,down the back straight I passed a couple of runners and began to focus on the Penn athlete ahead of me,going into the turn I passed him and began to pour it on up the home straight,the clock was slightly obscured by the lap counter but to be honest I was more focused on the two runners ahead of me and if I could reel them in....I didn't but I finished 25th in 15.57.74........yeah baby!!
Sub 16,66 seconds off my pr,32 seconds off the club record,job done.

Post cool down I had a few moments to reflect on my accomplishment,just like I said to myself after my 9.13.6. 3,000m on March 6th one 3,000m race does not make me a 3,000m runner,I can improve on today's time for sure but to put it in perspective today's time would've won me Outdoor Nationals and gotten me 5th at Worlds,the road to Sacramento 2010 and 2011 began today.
I do plan another 5,000m this month,if I can't get into the Olympic Development 5,000m at Penn Relays on April 22nd I'll opt for the New York Relays on April 18th in the hopes of lowering my pr/club record and then begin lowering my time to make me a medal contender at next years Worlds and also prepare for this summers Outdoor Nationals