Pace and running solo or with a group

I am the first one to be surprised of my fast pace during 5K races! Where do I get the speed from? Is it pure adrenaline? Is it motivation to break a PR? I definitely like to follow good runners and see if I can keep my pace with them. Definitely, it must be a mental thing.

 

Last year, I ran 5K races with a pace of about 7:20 MM. I dreamed about running 5K with a 7:00 MM pace. I said, I'd be glad if I could run that fast. Surprisingly, I was I able to accomplish this dream this year!

Here's a list of all the 5K races I ran this year:
Amana Freezer, January 28, 21:31, 6:55 MM
Doc Dash, March 24, 21:25, 6:53 MM
Get Moving for Healthy Kids, August 26, 22:16, 7:10 MM
Run for the Schools, October 14, 21:38: 6:58 MM

The interesting thing is that I can never run as fast when I run solo. If I run easy, my pace would be about 10 MM. When I push myself and purposedly try to run fast, I can get to about 8:00 MM, but not better than that. I can only run 8:30 MM when I push it.

I like to see how runners my age do in the same races I run. They amaze me and leave me open mouthed! How can they be so fast?  what's the secret? Are they better fit than me? How long have they been running? What's their body weight?

I enjoyed my training this Fall.  I was running about four miles each day. I did intervals on Wednesdays, and long distance on Sundays.  I believe in this program.  I will continue this program and hope to keep getting better next year!