It`s awesome - because you should not be comparing yourself to other people - but where you were a week , a month or a  year ago

There are a lot of factors that effect your own pace - hills + humidty are 2 biggies

The average pace if you wish will be effected by sex and age aswell as environmental factors.

you`ll probabrly run a little faster in your race - becuase it`s a race - and you`ll put a little spurt on at the end and push yourself in the middle - so figure an 11 mm  - unless this is some special elite race you managed to signed up for there will LOTS of people behind you - and more than likely one of them will be a guy half your age.- But I don`t  know the race - so maybe you will be last - if you are so what ?? .. you will have completed your first 5k - you have won the second you put your running shoe on the starting line.

Good Luck - enjoy yourself !!

Looseit08,

You will be around the middle when you run your 5k.  Don't worry (easier said than done) about your time.  I think we all get overzealous and hope for or think we should be much faster....it takes time.  Use your first 5k as the measure for how you will continue to do.  I remember running that pace and in no time at all had dropped a minute off of my time.  It's doable but not overnight.  One thing I highly recommend is to have someone run with you who can help you pace...my husband helped me along, kind of fooled me actually by telling me I was running a particular pace when he was actually pushing me to go a bit faster.

You can do it and don't be discouraged!

Teri