Race Report: Alpharetta Women's 5K

Previous PR: 22:48 (2/9/17)
Goals: Um, didn't have any? Seriously, today was just all about giving it a go. My only goal was to run hard the whole way and just see what happened. 
Result: 22:36

I ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE I'M RUNNING!

Training:

I'm following ATC's Level 3 half marathon training-- no real targeted training for this race at all. I modified the couple days prior to the race, but, otherwise, changed nothing.

Pre-Race:

I didn't plan much at all for this race. I'm kind of "over" the whole not having my plans work out theme of 2018. I didn't taper. I ran 8mi yesterday (with a few strides up hills). I ate irregular food yesterday. I spent the bulk of yesterday on my feet building a playset for my kid in the backyard. I only figured out what my warm-up would be the night before (by looking at what I did the last time I raced a 5K). I had no idea what my previous PR was until a friend asked me this morning. I had zero thoughts on pacing or what my mile split or average pace needed to be. 

So, what did I plan? Um, well, I remembered to get my race bib at packet pick-up the day before. That's something, right? 

I was lucky enough to have my family come with me today for support. We arrived early enough for me to get a couple miles of warm-up in. My little one was pretty upset to not be doing the race with me, so I pushed the stroller for my warm-up. As soon as I had gotten through a few strides, I had a big smile on my face. I felt good. This was the first run I've had all week where I felt GOOD. 

I struggled to slow myself down on the warm-up, continually reminding myself that there was absolutely zero value in getting a pace for these miles (in fact, there was "negative value" in going fast, because that would hinder my race performance later). I was grateful for the company (my stroller buddy)... at least until we returned up the Westside hill. That was awful, but I reminded myself that, if I could get up it with a stroller, it would feel so much easier thirty minutes later without one. 

Race

The race was supposed to start at 7:15. I shed my warm-up layers (it was 40 degrees with a "feels like" of 38 in the wind) at 7:14 and hopped towards the start (there were no corrals). We did not start at 7:15, and I was grateful for find a few friends, huddle with them, and even borrow a vest for a bit until we went off. 

I'm on the right-- the only one in shorts and a singlet :)

The 5K was not the premiere distance at this event, and it showed. The race course wasn't published until the week before (despite the fact that I registered for this race last December). There were no corrals. We didn't have an official start time. I took a look around at the start and had my first thought that I might actually have a shot at winning the race. 

Mile 1

When the gun went off, I went out hard. There's a great video on the race website showing the 5K start, and I'm incredibly proud of how strong and legit I look in it (that's a first for me). 

...and then I realized I was pretty much alone, chasing the lead motorcycle.

OMG. I'm literally the first person behind the lead vehicle.

and then

OMG. How fast am I going? I'm going to crash and burn.

6:59/mi. OK, that's not crazy fast for right off the line. 

I settled in and tried to figure out how fast I ought to be running. It was incredibly surreal to have no one else in front of me. Around the half mile mark, I heard footsteps behind me. "Alright," I thought, "here goes my lead. At least now I'll have some faster people to follow."

Nope. 

I looked to my left to see an eight-year-old girl smiling at me like we were just a couple of friends running around the playground at recess. 

We stayed together, her just ahead of me, but it definitely was not a race. I was just trying to figure out what pace I could/should keep, and she was just running. 

When we crested the Westside hill, I knew my husband and little one would be on the sidewalk cheering, and I gushed with pride thinking about my husband seeing me right behind the lead vehicle. I heard my little one first, though.

"GOOOOOOOOOOO, MOMMY! THAT'S MY MOMMY!"

Sweetest sound ever. I almost cried at that. If there's one thing parents want to instill in their kids, it's a sense of believing in themselves, and I truly believe that by seeing me work at (and sometimes succeed in) running, my own little one is developing a sense of that.

Mile 2

Racing a 5K is freaking awesome. You run one mile, and then think "only one more mile until the last one". This mile had a good bit of hills and turns in it, and I know I slowed down a lot. At our first major turn, the little girl got confused and stopped in the middle of the road, I tapped her shoulder and pulled her along with me, encouraging her to "just follow the motorcycle". I felt a very maternal, or at least big sisterly, obligation towards her. She wasn't someone to beat; she was someone to enjoy the race with.

By this point, I was aware that I had another adult with me, and we formed a nice little pack of three as we went around the lollipop part of the course, and then headed back up towards the big Westside Hill. I found myself constantly trying to figure out how much I had left in my tank and how fast I could go while still saving enough strength for the hill I knew was coming.

I'm going downhill here, but still disappointed to see myself leaning back SO much.

I thought I'd fixed that.

Mile 3

The little girl pulled ahead of us after we crossed the 2mi mark, and I joked with the other adult that I never expected to be using an elementary school aged kid as a pacer. We laughed together, and then she and the little girl surged ahead a big. "Come with us," the other adult encouraged me. 

I did. We chased the little one together until we got to the hill. I saw my husband and own kid as we neared the turn onto Westside. He ran with me up half of the hill, as I was in third place, providing incessant encouragement. It was actually too much encouragement, and I may have made the "zip it" gesture with my hand. 

Up the hill a little further, the girl told me she was going to "take a break". I surged past her, trying to determine if I'd have enough kick to win out over the other adult as we got into the final stretch of the course. 

Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. I gave it a couple "go"s in the final 0.2, but she always had another gear. When I realized I wasn't going to win or break the tape, I probably slowed a little, but still finished solidly in second place. 

Splits:

7:16 reasonable

7:49 oof, there's no way you're coming back from that

6:59 ohh, heeeeeey there, sub-7 mile on the toughest hill of the course

Reflections:

I could have gone faster today. It's a weird thing to say when you PR, have an amazing race, and aren't disappointed AT ALL in your performance, but I know I didn't run my fastest today. 

• I run my best races when there's zero expectation or pressure. I wish I could channel this mental peace and combine it effectively with actual planning and training. I know I could run so much faster.
• This was a race I ran more as a reaction to my fellow runners than as my own race. This was my first real experience in racing and race strategy, and I'm intrigued by the whole idea of it. 
• Tempo Tuesdays have helped me SO much. I'm glad I used my failure at Sizzler as motivation to reflect on my training, identify my weak spots, and learn from the experience. 
• I love distance running, but I'm definitely a short-distance racer. 5Ks and the mile are where it's at. 
• I'm so glad I pushed myself to race the 5K instead of taking the easy way out and just "doing" the half.
• I registered for this race for $1 (plus $4 in fees) back in December 2017. What a great ROI. :) 
• I'm pretty staunchly against women-specific things (except race shirt sizing) in general. I tend to be of the opinion that targeting specific groups does nothing but reinforce differences, and that that's almost always a bad thing. Today, I found myself appreciating the "women's only" vibe of this race. I saw so many women lifting each other up today, and got to be both on the giving and receiving ends of that myself. It was pretty special. 
  

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