Knights of Columbus 5K

Maybe it was the new shoes. Maybe it was the weather. Maybe I went out too fast. Whatever it was, I never felt right running this race today.
Going in, I didn't know what to expect. It was a new course for me, and it had been a couple of months since I'd run just 5K on fresh legs. So I was guessing I'd go about a 7-minute-mile pace, so I'd finish just under 22 minutes. I was feeling good as I drove over there.
It was overcast and chilly, with a cold wind blowing. So it was difficult for an old-timer like me to get warm. So I was eager to get going, if for no other reason than than to hasten the time I get back into my car. When the race started, I got out fast, hoping to run my way warm. But my feet felt alien, and my legs were just not under me.
Quite a few times I thought about stopping, especially when I got a stitch about halfway into it. But I just leaned forward and pushed through it. People passed me; I let them go. At the two-mile mark I was at 14:30 -- just 30 seconds behind my goal. But I knew the last 1.1 mile was mostly uphill.
I just kept moving my feet, and finally on the last uphill, with about half a mile to go, I found my pace. I powered up the last hill, passing one person who had passed me, pulling away from anyone trying to catch me.
My final time was 22:59, which was good for 45th place overall (out of about 100+ runners). I'm disappointed with that time, but I plan on improving that next time out.