Its Starting to Sink In

Lets keep this simple....my relationship with my parents starting around 7:00 or 8:00 tonight can be summed up in 30 short seconds by the one and only Zach Galifianakis in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5wvtEc9KqA&NR=1

Yes indeed, we are the three best friends that anyone could have.  My sister Liz is moving back to Saint Ben's today, and its really weird to not be going with.  What is just as weird though is being in Winona when its full of college kids.  As I ran past Winona State I almost wanted to run through the crowds of students to rant and rave about how they need to enjoy those college years.  I think most people who have been keeping up with this blog probably think I hate my life right now, but honestly I really don't.  I have rent free housing, free meals, and all I do is run, watch TV, and sit on the computer.  Life is great right now, its just going to suck in November when I have to start making loan payments and I begin to slowly watch my bank account drain down to some odd number of dollars and cents. 
As long as I am on the subject of running, (when am I not?) I once again was not surprised when I didn't break 16 minutes over 5000 meters.  Yeah, yeah, yeah, I won the race but if I had to pick between the way the race actually went and breaking 16:00 but not winning I would pick breaking 16:00 in a heartbeat.  The first mile was 5:08, so I was on pace for about 15:57 or 15:58 and I didn't get out too hard as I normally do.  I was at 10:40 at the 2 mile mark, which means my second mile was a 5:32.  My finishing time was 16:50, which is 2 seconds slower than I ran on the same course a year ago.  Seriously?  I dropped a minute and a half off my 10k time in the last year, but I am now running 47 seconds slower than my 5k PR when that PR was set in terrible conditions.  I could make the excuse that I led the entire race and had no one to push me, but I am sick of making excuses for myself.  But, at a certain point I did realize I was wearing a bright red singlet with matching red shorts, and neon green racing flats, which meant if I took anything worse than first I would look like a total tool when I finished.
Two feelings are starting to sink in now.  First, that going back to Saint John's will never be the same again, and secondly, I'm starting to get the feeling I might never break 16:00 for the 5k.  I can accept that college is over, but I'll be damned if I never break 16:00.