it's a long way off from my PB in a 5K, but i am also a long way from the condition i was in when i achieved my PB. but i'm happy to report i can no longer consider myself "out of shape" as i could earlier this year. the miles are finally paying off.
todd and i are running the Sharon Timlin Memorial 5K in a week and a half, and, while i want to be realistic with my expectations, i also push myself. my last 5K was over 3 years ago, and i've spent the better part of the last 2 years injured and not consistently running. the past 3 months i have started to seriously try to get back into shape, and over the past couple weeks, i'm started to feel my legs coming in under me. i ran a "test race" this weekend, to see where i'd fall. i really pushed it and saw 24:30 on the clock when i was done. not particularly fast for me, but a minute faster than anything i've run in the past 6 months for 3.1 miles. i figure that on race day, i will have that adrenaline i always get at races that'll push me harder, trimming that extra 30 seconds.
i don't think i should have any problem doing it... and, i know i'll be absolutely crushed if i don't. it's not about being fast; 23:59 is *not* fast, not even by my own standards. it's about measuring up... about setting a goal and achieving it.
Man, I'm jealous that you guys are up running a race together. I wish I was there. Of course, if I was, I'd be bringing up the back. I ran my 1.5 miles last night at an 8:08 pace, and there's no way I could have sustained that for 3.1 miles. I'm curious, do you have a 5k strategy? Run all out the entire way? Run slower at the start and save something for the last mile?
ReplyDeleteCome on up! There's no speed requirement! :D
ReplyDeleteMy strategy, if you can call it that, is to start out fast (a pace well above my normal pace) for 3/4 to a mile and then hang on during the middle. I try to steadily pass people - once I pass someone, I pick out the next person i'm going to take down and then gradually work on catching up with them. I also make sure to steadily pick up the pace as I approach the 3 mile mark and then finish by letting it all go for the last .1 to the finish line. It's not scientific, and i'd like to get more specific about my race strategy (probably by incorporating more speed work into my workouts) but for now I basically will my way to a good time. The only requirement: good stretching and warmup beforehand so you don't hurt yourself starting off so quickly.
definitely come up... this will be a nice little run!
ReplyDeletemy strategy for racing is very similar to todd's... push the pace up front to get myself into gear, keep continually passing folks, targeting one after another. the only difference is that i don't save anything for the last stretch... i usually don't have anything left for a kick. i usually get faster throughout the race and the last mile is usually about as fast as i can go.
races are a much different experience than training runs, or regular running. races, for me, are all about pain management... how hard can i push myself, and, how long can i endure the pain. i've consistently surprised myself over the years at races... but one thing i know for sure (many people say just the opposite): it's not getting easier with age.
I was pondering this post during my run yesterday, which I attempted to run at a close to race pace, and was reminded how true Eric's claim was: "races, for me, are all about pain management." I look at 5Ks as an opportunity to push yourself to the limit and see where you end up. The worst that happens is that you hurt for a little under a half-hour.
ReplyDeleteTurns out I ran a 21:18 in Timlin 5K last year; i'd like to do better this year, but we'll see - it's not as if I've been training to run faster; on the contrary, I've been running longer distances instead.