I’m calling this 5k my “back to basics” run because it reminded me of my first 5k I ran in back in 2001. Maybe I shouldn’t have tried running again so soon, but most people who know me well know that I’m not going to stop myself from coming back early. It is ironic that my first run back would take place in front of the hospital I received my 3 titanium plates in my face only 3 weeks earlier… Enough about that though… The conditions for the run were hot! Turns out it would also be about the hilliest 5k I’ve done before as well. The start was downhill and was a little nerve wracking. Running with a couple of hundred runners down hill at the start of a 5k didn’t set real well with me and I held back some also since I didn’t know how my legs would take the down hill running. But once at the bottome I began reeling in some of the runners that started just a tad too fast. First mile, 6:30… However, my darn shoe lace also managed to come untied. That kind of stuff happens when you’re hand is broken and you can’t pull things tight. 
So, for the next 2 miles I ran with a loose shoe. I could have stopped and tied it, probably would have been a little safer not having to worry about tripping, but I didn’t really want to stop. Next mile was definitely slower, must have been the lace, 8:00… The third mile I think was all up hill and the temperature sky rocketed up to 120 or something, so I slowed down some more to 9:00… Final time of 23:50… Thought I would be way back with a time like this, turns out I was in 26th place… Ok, compared to my old self that is way back, but I was pretty happy with that today and with my 3rd place finish in my age group. Did I mention this was my “back to basics” 5k?