Improbable 5K PR RR

5K: 5000 meter race (3.1 miles)
PR: Personal Record
RR: Race Report
mm: minutes per mile

(copied from my post on Coolrunning.com)

A couple of weekends ago we adopted a puppy from the Humane Society. I had all these dreams of running with the dog and taking her to work etc. These dreams were dashed when I turned out to be highly allergic to her, so much that I can't breath half the time. Needless to say that this has affected my running.
(If anyone in the Seattle area is looking for a puppy, check out our Craigslist post)
My asthma Dr. gave me some pills but they barely work. My lung capacity had dropped from 111% to 97% since Jan.
Anyways I decided to run the "Run For Children's Hospital 5K" today despite the suffering. I figured that I would just treat it like a tempo run. I've had a lot of heel pain lately as well so I haven't gotten nearly my normal mileage in.
Well today was completely miserable weather, 50 with steady rain and wind. The race is in Magnuson Park, and consisted of a mix of flooded broken walkways and flooded dirt and gravel paths, and mostly flat. You get the idea. For some reason all the walkers (with unbrellas) lined up near the start of the race so when the horn sounded I had to pick my way through them.
You might remember my last 5K, I had just gotten back from my dad's funeral and I was pretty emotional and inspired. Today I just felt a little sick and wet.
Fashion report: blue Nike shorts over compression shorts, blue Nike sphere dry T under full sleeve black Nike dry fit shirt, gray visor, new NB 857's, Garmin 305.
Once I pushed through all the walkers, I felt pretty good. My lungs didn't bother me much. My first mile ticked off at 8:58, which to my recollection may be my fastest mile split ever, including downhills. I didn't even feel bad and my legs were loose. Sometime during mile 2 I noticed my HR creeping up so I backed off a little. Mile 2 at 9:24...in my oxygen deprived state I didn't realize this was way faster than my previous PR. I still felt good so I really started to pour it on during the last 1/2 mile or so for Mile 3 at 9:27 and the last bit at 7:44.
(mile 1 with wind, mile 3 against wind btw)
Previous PR: 29:32/9:30mm (8/5/07)
New PR: 28:42/9:14mm
a 50 second PR! Also 16 secs/mile faster.
It took me 11 races to go from sub 31 to sub-30...and just one to get sub-29. I have absolutely no explanation for any of this...unless the pills I'm taking are a banned substance (Prednisone? Holy S...I looked it up...and it IS banned )
I guess I'll put an * next to my record

Well, hopefully we'll find a new home for doggie and my lungs will clear up. I have a 10K next weekend, and I'll be done with the pills before then. Maybe I should try for sub-60 10K...although I'll settle for under 64 for now.