Good start to the week

Distance: 11.74 miles
Time: 1:42:35
Average: 8:44
Run type: Tempo, easy, race, easy
Location: English Landing Park
Weather: 65, dense fog, humid.
Aches: None.
Injuries: None
Session notes: This session has a little of everything. I had a 10-mile run scheduled, but there was also a charity 5k in the park. I decided to run 7 miles, then participate in the 5k for a total of 10 miles. Here's how it worked out:
I opened with what turned out to be 7.24 miles at a faster pace than I anticipated - an average of 8:50. That turned the first part of the workout into a tempo run. That was fine and I felt good all the way. I tried to warm up properly, and I guess I succeeded, since my left foot "twinge" never acted up.
After the tempo run, I jogged a very slow mile leading up to the 5k, in the hopes I'd be recovered enough to at least run at about an 8:30 pace. The race was very informal and not even timed, so I wasn't going to treat it like a serious race. When we started out, there was a young iron-man like 30-something guy ahead of me, and a fit young guy right behind me. He looked to be in his high 20s. We ran that way all the way (there were a few real fast runners ahead of us). My motivation quickly became sticking with the guy ahead, and not letting the guy behind beat me.
The whole race was on the level English Landing Park trail, so it was fast, except for all the walkers, strollers, little kids and other obstructions there for the sake of raising money for a Ugandan school.
I ran remarkably consistent splits of 7:29, 7:21 and 7:18, which computed to 22:09, or a 7:23 pace. The distance was just 2.99 miles, but at that pace a 3.1 mile time would have been 23:02, which I think would have been a PR. Would have. I have to be happy with a time like that at the end of a fast 7.24 miles. Oh, I never caught the guy ahead of me, though he never got that far ahead. The guy behind me passed me with about a quarter of a mile to go and beat me by about 15 feet.
My last little bit of running was a half mile jog back to the car. I don't want any distance I cover on my feet to go to waste, you know.
A good morning and a more interesting way to get a semi-long run in.