"Day off" Summer Series 2-miler

Wednesdays are my off days, but how could I say no to the last NOTC summer series 2-miler in City Park? Of course I had to go!
After work, I changed into running clothes grabbed my Garmin - just as it started raining. The NOTC's Facebook page didn't say the event was cancelled, so I grabbed my and David's running ball caps and headed out anyway. It was still sprinkling by the time I registered for the race (it's free for club members, $10 for non-members), but as I warmed up the rain stopped. I was supposed to meet David at the start with his hat per our text conversation, but since it wasn't raining I ran back to my car and dropped them off. I stopped for this quick selfie to show you how much I was sweating with under a mile run at this point!

Dripping sweat after less than a mile. Yay..

Back at the start, I expected to run about 13 minutes for the 2 miler. Yeah, not super fast, but that's about the level of speed and fitness that I am basing my marathon training off of. If I was way off that pace, I'd definitely need to reconsider some of the workouts I'm running. If I was a little over 13 - just a few seconds - I'd blame my tired legs: I did speed work Tuesday morning and a squats workout late Tuesday night and my legs felt tired.

I started out ten to twelve rows back, but luckily the start did not feel very congested. We were moving freely in about a tenth of a mile. It was sketchy at first, though - the path was wet and there were a lot of puddles, so my footing wasn't very secure. I held back to avoid sprinting away with the high school boys.
It was, unfortunately, very muggy. I hoped the rain would cool the temperatures, but instead the sun came back out and steam floated off the grass. It wasn't the worst 2-miler temperatures I've endured, but it was very humid. Mile one hit just as I passed a girl I'd been running behind the whole time, and it was a 6:28. Right on pace!
The second half was pretty uneventful, as I just tried to maintain pace. I was passed by a fast group, which I didn't like, especially since one was a girl being paced by a well-known runner (one of the "local elites", as I call them) and I was dreadfully jealous that she was so fast in the second half. My legs definitely didn't like the pace, but I ignored the soreness and didn't totally fall apart. I managed not to puke and finished in 12:57.

So, I'm just about where I should be right now. Yes, I wish I was faster - I ran my PR 2 miler at one of these events, and I think it was 12:18? Much faster. I want to get back there, but I'm not getting any younger. I'll take a 12:57 for now.