I did not really prepare for this race the way I should have and normally do. I did not get enough sleep last night and I used the wrong type of fluids to hydrate. To be more specific, I ended up heading out with the boys for a few drinks last night. Not a good idea at all and not something I recommend anyone ever do. So while I had initially planned to go all out at the 2 mile race and run the 4 mile race with my fiancé at a more conservative pace, I adjusted my plan to "just finish it without incident". However, when I lined up in the second row at the starting line, my competitive nature took over and I decided to push hard until I would feel the need to back off the pace. I felt pretty good the first mile, but started to struggle a bit during the second mile. The first mile included a longer incline section followed by a nice downhill slope that allowed me to recover and pick up the pace a little. I tried to keep a consistent pace and managed to do it without blowing up my heart rate. Whohoo, I realized after looking at my Garmin data once I got home that I actually managed to run negative splits. That was definitely a first for me. I even had some energy left to push a little harder on the final quarter mile. Because I had checked the race guidelines before the race, I realized that my age group was much larger than usual covering a 10 year age span, so I did not expect to place at all. Imagine my surprise when I checked the official results that were posted at the race venue to see that I finished 20th overall and 3rd in my age group.  Not too bad a start for a Sunday afternoon of races. Maybe I can do even better with the appropriate race preparation next time around.