How long is an 8k?

Today it was entirely too long but for the mileage based people like me, it's 4.97 miles.........

So a personal record of sorts since it's my first ever 8k :-p..............Stress, exhaustion, not feeling well, under-hydration, heat, and humidity all contributed to a sucky race today, blech.  Great news is that James finished strong :-).

Mile 1 was 7:41, what's the refrain folks? Yeah, started OUT TOO FAST!!!!!!!!! Grrr, need to find somebody to put a leash on me for that first mile, lol.  Actually felt good but I think it was because of being in such a crowd that I didn't have time to think about what I was doing.

Mile 2--8:15 but trying not to cry is interfering with my breathing :-(

Mile 3--8:17, if this was a 5k it'd be almost over!!!!  Starting to feel like giving up via taking a walk & waiting for James to catch up with me. Resisted though

Mile 4--8:52, yep. gave up on this mile. Took a walk break thru the water station. It's hot, the side of the bridge is reflecting heat back onto us and it's flatout miserable. If I was fast I'd be at the finishline, sigh.  Oh forgot to mention the damn footbridge that wobbles when you get too many people running across it, ugh....feels like I'm gonna fall facefirst every time I cross it which was two times too many. I want to puke.

Mile 5 (sorta)--8:07.  Had allowed way too many females to pass me on miles 3 and 4 and let them get too much of a lead to outkick them near the end. sigh.........not that there was much of a kick on the last mile, shoulda been under 8 minutes.

Final stats
8k in 41:14 (8:18 average)
23/138 female
104/282 overall
3/22 age group

After I was done I turned around to do a run/walk back to Charity to run in with her :-).  Fought the dehydration stitch for almost the entire way, ouch....Me and my garmin also weren't communicating too well today, well that would be me not hitting restart whenever I stopped it so lost just over 1/2 a mile on my warmup.