Hearts and Soles 5K
Previous Distance PR: 23:33 (Lab Rescue 5K, 11/20/16)
Results: 22:48, 5th AG
Today was my first official race in the "Year of the 5K", and it did not suck. After five weeks (is that all?!?!) of actually being in-training, it was time to see what I could do. I've nailed every split asked of me throughout the training, only missed a single workout (due to illness), and logged 133 miles of training runs. All signs pointed to an amazing race... except for this nagging hamstring.
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| #CTSO ("cross that shit off") |
Day Before
When my coach texted me last night with her suggested tiered goals for me, my face looked like this:
I thought about them for a moment, though, and agreed with all of them.
Sidenote: it was really nice for someone else to be doing all the evaluation of past weeks' runs and decision making on what were reasonable goals for me.
Pre-Run: 2mi warm-up @ 9:49/mi avg
B, B, and I met up at the training tents and did a few warm-up miles together. They were slow. I was cold. I was worried about my hamstring. I was worried about being too cold during the race once I took my layers off. I was worried about being too hot during the race if I didn't take my layers off. Just like Resolution, though, having friends to run around with gave me something to take my mind off of myself.
We ran around the parking lots, and then down and up the major hill on the race course. Every time I've done this course, I've been pushing hard, and there's this hill from 2.5 up to m3 that always feels like a mountain. Well, when you're just running it as a warm-up, it's absolutely nothing. Like, I almost wondered if we were on the right road, because I literally didn't see any mountains. Guess that's perspective for ya, though...
We made it back to the In-Training tent just in time for the choreographed dynamic warm-up. I haven't done this since I was a RL. Maybe I should start. >_>
I held Jerry's 8:00 pace group sign for a brief minute during this part of things, and remember saying, "whoa, I'm going to be running faster than this, the fastest group in training, for my race".
"WOOOOOOOOO, RACE PACE!" he replied with a smile.
Corrals
I lined up in Corral 'A' (7:30/mi or faster) for the first time ever (well, in a race longer than a mile). It felt bizarre to be up there, with the "fasts". Two years ago, I'd gaze with amazement on Corral A and think of how incredible it was that 75% of the people there (*cough*inaccurate-self-seeding*cough*) were actually going to run under a mid-7 pace the whole way. That was crazy fast.
Now I'm crazy fast.
Having friends around really helped. Of course, I had B, and knew that we'd be, more or less, running the whole way together. I also got to start with a handful of other ATC friends (more "fasts"!!!), including Jerry. He'd evidently decided to run with me. I gave him quick instructions on how to be an effective motivator for me during the race. He counted down the seconds until the gun. And then we were off.
Thoughts from Mile 1 (7:18)
Don't go out too fast. Stay easy. Weeeeeeeee, downhill! (galloped down and banked some time)
Thoughts from Mile 2 (7:29)
Use your arms. Why didn't I get any water before the gun went off? Where's the turnaround? Grrr, why are you people slowing down around the turn... get out of my way.
Thoughts from Mile 3 (7:22)
Maybe I should have taken Jerry up on that cup of water. Just get to the turn, then you'll be free to kick. Oof, where did this hill come from? Steady. Focus on your cadence. Keep breathing. Half a mile to go. Two loops on the track. Wait, Brandi's speeding up again. No, not yet. I don't want to go yet. I can't hold a kick that long. Ugh. I can't let her go NOW. Push, keep up with her. You're going to have to make it hurt earlier than you want to make it hurt... that's why it's called "making it hurt".
Thoughts from the last 0.1 (5:15/mi, yes, that's accurate, even though I look like I'm walking in the photos)
Your coach is watching you. Make her proud. Use that kick. MAKE. IT. HURT.
I didn't really focus on my watch at all during the run. Sure, I glanced down from time to time, but I was pretty much just trying to keep pace with B, stay ahead of Jerry (I think my subconscious knew he was pacing us and that, as long as I didn't see him in my periphery, I was okay), and save something for the rest of the race. I didn't know what I was going to finish in until I saw the mile 3 clock, and, even then, I didn't know what our start time was relative to the actual gun time, so I thought I'd totally missed 23.
It wasn't until I stopped my watch that I realized we'd done it. :D
Post-Race: 2.26 @ 10:48/mi
After cheering in some other friends and celebrating a few other new PRs, B, B, and I went off to do our cool-down. The second I started running again, my entire lower body ached. Oof. This was going to be a looooong two mile cool-down. I wanted to walk after the first mile, but having B&B there kept me going. After slugging through the requisite mileage, I enjoyed a good long stretch, took a moment to thank my coach for her dead-on estimates of what I could do, and then headed home for some leftover pizza, and then a yoga+beer date with a few runner girl friends.
Quick Reflections/Notes:
 |
| 'A' Goal (10% chance of making it) = 22:50 |
 |
| 'B' Goal (50% chance) = 23:00 |
 |
| 'C' Goal (90% chance) = PR |
I thought about them for a moment, though, and agreed with all of them.
Sidenote: it was really nice for someone else to be doing all the evaluation of past weeks' runs and decision making on what were reasonable goals for me.
Pre-Run: 2mi warm-up @ 9:49/mi avg
B, B, and I met up at the training tents and did a few warm-up miles together. They were slow. I was cold. I was worried about my hamstring. I was worried about being too cold during the race once I took my layers off. I was worried about being too hot during the race if I didn't take my layers off. Just like Resolution, though, having friends to run around with gave me something to take my mind off of myself.
We ran around the parking lots, and then down and up the major hill on the race course. Every time I've done this course, I've been pushing hard, and there's this hill from 2.5 up to m3 that always feels like a mountain. Well, when you're just running it as a warm-up, it's absolutely nothing. Like, I almost wondered if we were on the right road, because I literally didn't see any mountains. Guess that's perspective for ya, though...
We made it back to the In-Training tent just in time for the choreographed dynamic warm-up. I haven't done this since I was a RL. Maybe I should start. >_>
I held Jerry's 8:00 pace group sign for a brief minute during this part of things, and remember saying, "whoa, I'm going to be running faster than this, the fastest group in training, for my race".
"WOOOOOOOOO, RACE PACE!" he replied with a smile.
Corrals
I lined up in Corral 'A' (7:30/mi or faster) for the first time ever (well, in a race longer than a mile). It felt bizarre to be up there, with the "fasts". Two years ago, I'd gaze with amazement on Corral A and think of how incredible it was that 75% of the people there (*cough*inaccurate-self-seeding*cough*) were actually going to run under a mid-7 pace the whole way. That was crazy fast.
Now I'm crazy fast.
Having friends around really helped. Of course, I had B, and knew that we'd be, more or less, running the whole way together. I also got to start with a handful of other ATC friends (more "fasts"!!!), including Jerry. He'd evidently decided to run with me. I gave him quick instructions on how to be an effective motivator for me during the race. He counted down the seconds until the gun. And then we were off.
 |
| green = elevation grey = pace |
Thoughts from Mile 1 (7:18)
Don't go out too fast. Stay easy. Weeeeeeeee, downhill! (galloped down and banked some time)
Thoughts from Mile 2 (7:29)
Use your arms. Why didn't I get any water before the gun went off? Where's the turnaround? Grrr, why are you people slowing down around the turn... get out of my way.
Thoughts from Mile 3 (7:22)
Maybe I should have taken Jerry up on that cup of water. Just get to the turn, then you'll be free to kick. Oof, where did this hill come from? Steady. Focus on your cadence. Keep breathing. Half a mile to go. Two loops on the track. Wait, Brandi's speeding up again. No, not yet. I don't want to go yet. I can't hold a kick that long. Ugh. I can't let her go NOW. Push, keep up with her. You're going to have to make it hurt earlier than you want to make it hurt... that's why it's called "making it hurt".
Thoughts from the last 0.1 (5:15/mi, yes, that's accurate, even though I look like I'm walking in the photos)
Your coach is watching you. Make her proud. Use that kick. MAKE. IT. HURT.
 |
| finish chute pics, courtesy of my coach :) |
I didn't really focus on my watch at all during the run. Sure, I glanced down from time to time, but I was pretty much just trying to keep pace with B, stay ahead of Jerry (I think my subconscious knew he was pacing us and that, as long as I didn't see him in my periphery, I was okay), and save something for the rest of the race. I didn't know what I was going to finish in until I saw the mile 3 clock, and, even then, I didn't know what our start time was relative to the actual gun time, so I thought I'd totally missed 23.
It wasn't until I stopped my watch that I realized we'd done it. :D
 |
| Running Mamas and Brandi :) |
Post-Race: 2.26 @ 10:48/mi
After cheering in some other friends and celebrating a few other new PRs, B, B, and I went off to do our cool-down. The second I started running again, my entire lower body ached. Oof. This was going to be a looooong two mile cool-down. I wanted to walk after the first mile, but having B&B there kept me going. After slugging through the requisite mileage, I enjoyed a good long stretch, took a moment to thank my coach for her dead-on estimates of what I could do, and then headed home for some leftover pizza, and then a yoga+beer date with a few runner girl friends.
Quick Reflections/Notes:
- Hamstring didn't bug me at ALL during the race. I credit using the compression sleeve early, this week's two sports massages (Tony at Georgia Sports Massage is fantastic), and stretching.
- I believe in the power of the warm-up and cool-down runs
- I LOVE my running friends
- BodyGlide should be applied under top part of arm sleeves (lesson learned in the shower today)
- Having something easy to eat at home post-race is key
- The faster you run, the faster you have to run next time. :P
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