Ridley Run 3.1 Goal

I have only had two weeks to train since my last 5K run where I finished in a personal best time of 22:58.  I would like to run in the proximity of  22:45 this weekend.  I believe this point to point course may be more conducive toward setting a personal record.

My mile splits from my last 5K were 6:57, 7:21 and 7:42.  These are all personally very fast mile times.  I  slowed dramatically within the last third of the race. i finished a full forty five seconds slower than my first mile.

In order to set a new personal 5K record of 22:45 this weekend, I need to average 1:50 quarter mile splits.  This translates to a 7:20 per mile average.  I configure my Garmin training watch to display my splits every quarter mile to get feedback on my pace so I can adjust accordingly.
 
During my last five kilometer race  I ran the first quarter mile in  1:33 (one minute thirty three seconds).  Using my 1:50 goal split just mentioned, you might reason I had an extra seventeen seconds to meet my race goal pace after my first quarter mile split from the last race.   However, because I expended this energy in the first quarter mile I suffered a precipitous decline in my pace as the run progressed.

There are two core components which affect my mile splits; how well I feel during race day and the course layout.  If this race had more runners, navigating through runner traffic could be a third component. After reviewing the elevation changes with this course using MapMyRun.com, the first mile is generally downhill. It's almost a foregone conclusion I will complete the first mile in a fast time.

I need to hold back during the first mile and save some energy for the end of the race.  This is my 24th race I have run and I have yet to develop the discipline to manage my pace throughout a race.  I always falter in the last mile.