Brooks ID

Today was my first race as a Brooks member. It was a decent sized field of runners, but I think I was the only crazy person to wear running shorts and a jersey. It was very windy out 20 mph and gusts up to 30 mph. Then it kept spitting rain off and on throughout the warm up. I didn't see anyone that I knew so I wasn't worried about getting beat until 2 min before the race. I've raced this guy 2 times, once in a mile run on the track where he it was windy and he just sat on me and kicked with 200 meters left. The second time I just wasn't in shape and I died hard, so I was thinking well I'm in ok shape I'm going to push it hard and see if he goes with me. Well another guy from University of Oakland shows up which has recently ran 15:xx low for indoors and my recent 5k was low 16:xx. So I kind of knew I was in trouble from the start.
The start of the race I take off decently fast and I look around and I'm all alone, I look back on one of the corners and they are just chilling about 10 sec back. I just keep pushing hoping I could put enough distance between myself and them, First mile I come in 5:08 which wasn't bad, not tired so I kept on pushing and I was still the same distance from the 2nd and 3rd place guys. Second mile I was 10:28 going partly into the wind and the rain picks up a little bit and still I'm up on the other guys, so I knew they have to start coming anytime now and we hit some little hills and I push up them and I start to feel little tired, so I though. Finally right before the 3rd mile the guy from Oakland is coming he already made up a little distance on me. I though well maybe I'll just keep the pace and if he gets me I'll try to stay with him and maybe he'll be to tired at the end and I can out kick him. I get to the 5k and he's right behind me and I let up a little bit and he passes me and I feel ok not to tired so I go with him and I don't know anything about this course so I look at my watch and see 19:30. I figure we should be between 1/2 to 1/4 left in the race. I push past him and push it one last time and he stays right behind me and we get to the last turn and he must of knew the finish was right there cause he took off and I try to go but I haven't done any speed except long tempos, so he out kicks me by maybe 2 feet. I finished with 21:20 time (5:20 pace) not real fast but with that wind and now its pouring rain and I'm freezing I'll take it. Until next time
Brandon