Firecracker and Progressing

It is amazing how much easier it is to run when the humidity is not 7000 percent! I have had two good runs over the past couple of days that have made me very excited about my aerobic abilities.
Yesterday was great as I ran a negative split run in the dead heat of the afternoon. A negative split run means you run point to point, and you come back faster than you went out. Generally, especially when I race, I do the opposite. But my return 3.5 miles was roughly a minute faster than when I went out.
Then today, I got a quick 6 miles in at 10 am and it felt great. Even thought it was roughly 85 degrees outside, there was barely any humidity!
Coming up Saturday is the Firecracker 5k. This race has been a thorn in my side since the first time I ran it. I ran it for the first time, and placed in my age group, but the time was not impressive. Then I ran it the next year, and was terrible, did not even break 20 minutes. There was one other time in my life when I ran a 5k that slow, and it was my first when I was 12 years old, and even then I ran a 20:36. Last year was a breakthrough, I ran it in 17:37 and almost cracked the top ten, and managed to take home some age group hardware.
Not sure what to expect this weekend. My training has been okay, but I do not think my speed is where it needs to be. Generally, adrenaline will carry you through the first mile, but its the last two that you need to have some umph for, and the second mile of this one has a pretty significant hill.
I would love to go under 17, but as long as I beat my Harbortown time, I will be showing improvement. So I am trying to keep my spirits up and keep the expectations low, because anything positive is great during the searing summer training months.
Its a great race and it is for St Jude children's hospital, and a great way to start the July 4th weekend.
I will let everyone know how it goes Saturday night after the race. Come out and cheer on the runners if you are in the area, or join me and don a number and put in some miles to make way for a good time grilling out and some frosty cold beverages the next day!
Also, I am planning on writing an article on the state of current American distance running in the next few days, so be on the lookout for that as well, should be a good read and my take on things will be included in there as well. This includes from college to our pro guys, and all distances from 1500 to the marathon, and even a nod to the ultra guys..those loons :).