Sun 12/8 - AM 60 minutes incl. 5k road race

Further confirmation of lack of fitness. A year and a week after cruising 5:10 pace on this pancake-flat layout I could only manage 5:30 pace this time around. While the course was altered slightly, something I found out on the starting line, the change from last year's lollipop out-and-back to a straight out-and-back cost at most a second or two thanks to the 180 degree turn at halfway. Colder this time around too but not prohibitively so. What was clear within the first minute or two after the gun was that I was feeling as flat as the course and this would be a chore. Within the first 800m I was passed and put into fourth place by another old fart. Tried to latch on but it was apparent to both of us I think that I was working too hard to pull it off and as result lost contact soon after the mile mark (reached in 5:16). After this break I could feel myself slowing. Second mile slipped to 5:40 as I was in the process of mailing it in but holding out what seemed like vain hope that one of the two guys in hailing distance would fall apart. To my surprise that's what happened with most of the gap disappearing between 800 and 600m to go. Went from hoping to be in range for a final sprint to making the pass earlier than I would have liked and playing keep away until the line. This added motivation brought the 3rd mile to something in the 5:30 range, yippee. Once assured of holding off the nearest guy behind me I stopped pressing quite as much, although no early cooldown was in the cards. Overall the effort felt quite taxing, and certainly like it should have yielded a faster pace. While the right leg held up reasonably well once again and is certainly much improved from where was a month or so ago, I have to wonder to what degree it's compromising my economy and making it harder to run a given pace. Also a bit overextended with all the stuff going on over the weekend up to this point but that's not a poor excuse. Cooldown was a very slow putter around the parking lot. I had every intention of tacking on an easy half hour shakeout in the afternoon but when the time arrived for it I could tell it wouldn't be happening after all.