So I don't blog much about my running and it IS in the blog name so I feel I should throw one in every now and then. So how about my recent race....and first race in about a year and a half.
Since moving to California, I haven't been running as much. Usually 3 days a week and mostly just 3 miles. Since the heat ended I have tried to start throwing some long runs in...5 or 6 miles, even a 7 and 8 miler (accidentally!). But I have been inconsistent with adding the long runs. A couple weeks ago I realized this 5k was right around the corner and decided to throw in some speed workouts....which I haven't done in forever! They were really half assed. The first one I did five 1/2 mile intervals at around 5k pace, maybe a tad faster, with a little less than a 1/2 mile jog between. The second one I only did 4, mostly due to time constraints. And that was it!
Nearly all of my runs are done at 10:30 pace. Every now and then when the weather is especially nice I may get a 9:30 pace, and oddly enough that happened mostly on those longer runs. Though it may not be that odd, since I fully believe it takes me a good 3 miles to warm up!
So I wasn't expecting much from this race. All of my other 5k's were right around 25 mins and 15-30 secs. They were also back East...not on completely flat courses. So I was hoping I could finally break the 25 minute mark, because it is FLAT here! I did run in full Santa gear, but I don't think that slowed me too much, although I used lots of energy pulling the hat back on...and did have to tie the coat around my waist because it got a bit too hot.
Recap:
I ran about 1.6 miles for a warm up, at about a 10:30 pace. I was wearing my racing flats, which I have never run farther than a 5k in, usually I do the warm up in my regular shoes. This did end up causing some foot issues and the next day some calf pain, but nothing major.
I also want to note I had worked the night before til 2 in the morning and only got 4 hours of sleep. I also only had a banana for breakfast, usually I eat oatmeal, but I wanted the extra sleeping time!
I ran with a friend, first time doing this other than my marathon. The start was very crowded and we probably started back to far, I didn't realize how many walkers there would be. We did manage to run 8:40 for the first mile (thankfully he remembered to start his watch because DUH I forgot!). I would have guessed it was much slower. We made a conscious effort to not go out to fast. We were chatting (with ease) the whole first mile...so probably could have run a bit faster. I don't remember what he said our second mile was, but it was somewhere around 8 min pace. Still felt really good, ran through water stop wihtout too much slowing. We (he) picked up the pace. I still felt good but definitely breathing hard now (well it IS a race, I should be exerting some effort, right?). The increased pace was definitely tiring me. He noted that we had about 1/2 mile left and picked up the pace again...I thought geez 1/2 mile is still so far, at the same time thinking "Oh shut up, it's only about 4 minutes". My right foot was feeling a little sore on the ball of the big toe, I think this was from wearing the flats during warm up, there really isn't much to this shoe...practically barefoot!
We were passing people and I really wanted to stick with him, but I told him to just go ahead, he tried to push me by saying "We're almost there" but my mind was fighting. I normally have a kick at the end, and with such a slow first mile you would think I would still have some left but....He finished a few seconds ahead of me but because of him I passed (unknown to me at the time) the woman who was currently in 3rd for my age group! So I got a age group award because of Jim!
I didn't end nearly as beat as I usually do, so I know I could of pushed harder. I blame it on my brain...it was just too tired from the long work week. My time was a surprising 25:46. I say surprising because that's only about 10 secs a mile slower than usual and since it didn't "feel" as hard, I really thought it would be slower....maybe the flat course helped!
This is the first race in a series of 3, where you get a medal for completing them all....and you know I love me some bling...so I think I will have to actually train harder (and by that I mean train period!) and run the other two....Had I run the time I usually run I woudl have had a SECOND place finish in my (new) age group! I actually checked and I would have had third place in the other age group too
One final note: an 80 year old woman beat us....I don't remember her exact time but her pace was around 7:40 or 50 ish! So that gives me hope that I can, in fact, improve my time!! And I still have a few years to do it! ;)
Also I got the racing bug again....I am realllly thinking about the half coming up....of course I am completely untrained for that as well and it's in early February! I am still having issues with spending money on racing, now that I am "poor".
No comments:
Post a Comment