Beginners and Beyond

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RR - Unite 8k - a nail-biting attempt at slaying the sub-40 beast (Read 51 times)

music_girl117


    I don’t post here very much (I keep meaning to fix that, but somehow I seem to remain in lurking mode)…but, today was a fresh shot at a goal I missed last time. In January I tried for 39: xx in a 5 mile race and came up short at 40:35. I wasn’t sure when I’d get another chance to run that distance. As luck would have it, there was an 8k in my area today. (8k, for the record, is 4.97 miles, but I think it’s close enough that I can count them as the same distance, with a shared PR).

     

    So, my running hasn’t been fantastic this winter, since like many people I’ve been dealing with a ton of snow. But despite mediocre mileage, I have noticed the past couple of months that my training paces are getting faster for the same effort level, so I thought that I might be able to swing the sub-40 today. I had the advantage of knowing the course and where the hills are, since I have run in that area many many times before. And I studied my race report from January so I wouldn’t make the same pacing mistakes (namely, a too-cautious start and a loss of focus in the middle).

     

    All right, so it was 55 degrees at the start. I was a little cold in short sleeves and shorts, but I knew I’d warm up fast once we got going. The half-marathoners took off first, and 15 minutes later we 8k-ers were off! Unfortunately people were really, REALLY not lined up by pace, so I was dodging and passing like crazy for the first half mile. I was a little overzealous I guess and saw a 7:30 pace on my watch at one point; too fast!! But I pulled back and finished mile 1 in 7:55. Ideally I’d have been around 8:05 for mile 1, but oh well. Mile 2 took us on a sharp downhill and into a park. I concentrated hard on being in “cruise control” mode; just staying very steady and keeping my breathing deep and calm. Got 7:58 for that mile; good. About midway through mile 3 I was starting to feel tired and also hot; the sun was coming out from behind the clouds. Took some water and finished mile 3 in 8:03; still on pace, but only just. Mile 4 had a lot of turns, and I continued to concentrate on not just holding the pace but also running the tangents perfectly, something I usually don’t bother with. I also took water again, which might have been a mistake. 8:07 for mile 4; crap! I was really feeling exhausted for the last mile: I was sweaty, had side stitches coming and going, breathing pretty labored, and so on. But I remembered my “mental loafing” from the January race and told myself NOT TO SLOW DOWN!!  The last ~half mile of the race was a long straightaway, and oh god, I was so freakin’ tired but kept pushing. I think this was the first time I ever felt like I might actually puke after a race. The finish clock was set to the half marathon start time, so it wasn’t right for the 8k race, and I didn’t dare look at my watch but just stopped it without looking as I crossed the finish. I got a finishers medal (wasn’t expecting that, but it’s quite a cool medal!) and some water. Once I caught my breath, I finally clicked through the data in my watch. It logged 8:01 for the last mile, for a total finish time of 40:04! Gaaaaaaah!! So close! And my chip time was recorded as 40:02. But note that I said “last mile”: my watch logged exactly 5.00 miles for the course. So if the race was in fact a bit long (5 miles instead of 4.97), then I surely nailed the sub-40. But I guess I don’t know for sure.

     

    I do know that it was a great race both physically and mentally. That was a 10/10 for effort; no mental loafing here! Next target: a sub-24 5k!

     

    Oh, and the prelim results show that I got 3rd out of 108 in my age group!! (In fairness, many of the fast people were running the corresponding half). And the first 2 in my age group were also the top two overall females, so I guess I won my age group?! They said awards will be mailed later.

     

    I took a geeky bathroom-mirror selfie to show off the finishers medal, but I can't figure out how to post it. Sad  Anyway, thanks for reading!

    PRs:

    5k - 22:53  (May 2015)

    10k - 50:00 (unofficial; part of 20k race, March 2015); 50:33 (official; July 2016)

    HM - 1:48:40  (Apr. 2015)

    JerryInIL


    Return To Racing

      Congrats on the 10/10 effort and terrific race.  Nice RR, you'll have to post more often, Music Girl and get those selfies posted.

          

      PADRunner


        Congrats! Sounds like you had a great race.

        Brrrrrrr


        Uffda

          How lucky are you to have so many races of that distance! I think there's only one around here, but we have a lot of 5ks/10ks.

           

          I think you ran a good race. Way to leave it all out there and to stick it out in the last mile. I wouldn't beat yourself up about being a little quick in your early miles. I think if you ran that same race tomorrow you'd have it in the bag. Need to think 7:55 instead of 8:00 though. You got 30 seconds faster in just 3 months. Maybe you can find one for July?

          - Andrew

            Congrats, Music Girl!

             

            Smoking fast time regardless of who was running the half.

             

            I know what you mean about "mental loafing", sometimes it's hard to maintain focus all race, harder than actually maintaining pace.  Way to not give in.

             

            Great job on the AG placement.  (For pics here, you have to upload it to a hosting site and then link to it using the icon to the left of the smilies menu.  I have been using tinypic.com lately.)

            LRB


              What a nice and thorough write up!  For the fact that you have shown improvement despite less than ideal training means more fitness is in store for you. You may even blow your 5k out of the water, when exactly is it?

               

              By the way I use photo bucket to upload pics, which I suspect it is no worse or no better than any other site.  It usually just comes down to which site you log into first.

              HobbitLegs


              elevenses

                Congrats on a great race, and I think you'll have no trouble with that 5k. Best of luck!

                music_girl117


                  Jerryb, thank you!  Yeah, it's such a nice group here.  I feel like I know everyone since I read almost every day, but I sometimes feel a little shy to jump into the conversations.

                   

                  PADRunner, thank you!  It was a tough one, but it was good to gut it out.

                   

                  Brrrrr, thanks!  Yeah, the 5 mile & 8k distance is interesting.  With 5k and HM, I feel like I have a somewhat-decent grasp on how to race them.  But with 10k and 5 miles/8k, I am definitely still learning!!  I find 10k particularly hard; I've done two of those, and both times my splits were all over the place.

                   

                  Jay, thanks!  Yes, sometimes it's easy to just think "My time goal was too ambitious anyway, who cares if I miss it?".  I try to remind myself that pain is temporary but finishing times are forever!! lol

                   

                  LRB, thanks!  Probably May 18 for the next 5k.  That particular 5k is the first one I ever ran when I started (in 2012) and I had a great time.  And I posted a huge PR in that same 5k last year coming off of a spring HM.  Here's hoping to make it 3 strong years in that race!

                   

                  HobbitLegs, thank you!  I am excited for my next 5k.  I like the shorter, faster distances.

                   

                  Thanks for the photo upload tips: here it is.  Sorry it's so blurry (and backwards since it's in the mirror).  I suck at photography, but I think you get the idea at least.  The medal says "Unite" on the top (the name of the race), and the red R is because the race took place at Rutgers University.  Below the R it says "8k", and the date is inscribed on the back.

                  PRs:

                  5k - 22:53  (May 2015)

                  10k - 50:00 (unofficial; part of 20k race, March 2015); 50:33 (official; July 2016)

                  HM - 1:48:40  (Apr. 2015)

                  LRB


                    Wow that thing is huge!  And looks really nice!

                    Pinktastic


                      Great job, MG!   It has to be so satisfying to leave it all out on the course and to know that you ran the best you could!   Congrats on an excellent race!!   Thanks for sharing your RR!

                      But The Smile That I Sent Out Returned With You.

                      scottydawg


                      Barking Mad To Run

                        Congrats on your race!  I woulda been right behind you at the finish....about 15 minutes behind you, lol.

                         

                        If you did not get your sub-40 for this one, no doubt in my mind you are definitely going to get it at another one, Ms. Speedy!

                        "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." Theodore Roosevelt

                        GinnyinPA


                          Congratulations on your AG win and doing so well keeping your focus during the race.  I've done one 5 miler and it is hard to know how hard to push.