How big a dork am I? (here is your answer)

So. I've been doing the west chester cross country series. (a 5k every other Tuesday) It is a fairly tough course. Lots of uphills, Some turns, almost zero pavement. I usually do it up with my boy Matteis, as we battle it out for 5k supremacy. I am sure there are some previous posts with me bragging. Well, for some very important reasons, he couldn't make it out to today's race, so I'm there with a guest.

My time at this 5k had hit a plateau. 20:51. I just couldn't get any faster for some reason. Well, my goal has been to run a sub 20 minute 5k on this course. I figure that would be good for me. Today was the second to last race of the series, so what was the plan . . . Today I run a 20:30 5k and next race, I go for the goal with a 20 minute 5k.

So how big a dork am I? I'm sitting at work doing the math in my head of how fast the mile splits for a 20:30 5k would need to be. It ain't pretty. I figure there is no way. What do I do? I take my pen and write 20:30 on my left wrist such that I can read it when I am running. I am that big a dork.

I get to the 5k and I'm ready to rock. The gun goes off. I'm doing a faster first mile than I had ever done at this race. But I knew what I was there to do. I'm staying focused, looking at my wrist occasionally to help me. The last 1/2 mile of the course is a brutal uphill followed by a false flat all the way to the finish. Not fun.

I come up to the finish, and a girl is standing in front of the clock!!! I see 20:?4 from a distance. I can't read the 3rd digit. I'm sprinting it in, and as I finally get that 3rd digit in view I see the clock now read 20:12. My final time was 20:15.

I may be a big dork with a 20:30 written on my wrist, but I just proved to myself that a sub 20 minute 5k is within reach for the last race of the season. Watch out kids, it is gonna happen!!!