Quick Summary:

The Fireman's 5k is a local race that always has attracted a fast field. I missed last years race so this was my first time on the course and I was aiming to race. Overall and Masters trophies are Firemen, I was aiming to bring one home, but missed it by 12 seconds. I am not upset, I ran well and there is always next year.

Goals:

1st Race execute properly

2nd Masters

3rd PR

Finish time:

17:30 - 0:43 PR

7th Overall / 2nd Masters / 1st 40-44

Long Report:

The Fireman's 5k is a point-to-point race with a net elevation loss, it promises a fast race and has delivered every year that I know. Buses carry the racers back to the start for awards, but most of the faster runners run back as a cool down.

Several of my training teammates were also racing so we took off on a warm-up run a bit over 2 miles. Weather was warm and humid, 71F - 65 dewpoint, it wasn't long before we were all sweaty. I broke off after and finished my warm-up with dynamics, sweat dripping off my nose.  I was a little concerned, but was quickly reminded that whatever the conditions, they are the same for everyone.

Mile 1 – 5:35 – 71F 

The horn goes off and the lead pack of 6 quickly takes the lead, with a boy no taller than 4 feet sprinting out past everyone. Less than 1/4 mile we all fly past him, a quick glance at the watch indicates a 5:00 flat.  Fast but not horribly so and I settle in by the 1/2 mile mark.

One of the local masters runners that is well known and routinely takes the trophy pulls up beside me and a glance is all it takes for me to recognize him.

I won't let him beat me.

Mile 2 – 5:33

Pacing feels good, this past two miles has been a constant battle with the other masters, I have him on the hills both up and down, he catches me on the flats, back and forth trading places.

A younger training partner that had been with the leaders has slowly fallen back and we overtake him, I am in competitor mode, otherwise I would have encouraged him to keep up.

Mile 3 – 5:50

The other masters finally took the lead and I didn't respond to take it back.  My mind and body started shouting, "I just want to stop, I hate racing...". I fight the battle and tell myself, "just stick with him, he is hurting too, you can still beat him."

This mile sucks it hurts, we have dropped a few of the leaders but at have had at least 1 racer pass.

Mile 0.1 - 0:31 - 5:14 pace

The finish line is behind a shopping center and hidden from view. A quick 90 degree turn from the road to the parking lot marks the last leg of the race. However, even at the turn you can not see the finish, I turn and kick, flying past the other masters that I had been battling only to realize my mistake.

Up ahead the digital timer marks the 3 mile mark.  I have kicked too soon! All I can do now is hold on as fast as I can manage and hope he can't respond.

He doesn't and I cross the finish, gasping. Confident that I not only took out a difficult competitor but also pretty sure I have the trophy.

Post 3.1 -

I watch the rest of my training teammates come in and mill about at the finish for a bit. Meanwhile the buses have started taking runners back to the start and awards area. A few of us gather up and run back as our cool down.

Not long after arriving back we all check the awards and find an unexpected masters runner beat me.  The long lean guy that passed my in the last mile!  He didn't look like a masters, but it really didn't matter.  I ran well and at my limit, at that time there was no way I could have pulled 12 more seconds out of my time.  There is always next year.

Very good race, great experience, and having tough competition with battling back and forth the entire way.

Finish time and temp: 71F

17:30 - 0:43 PR

7th Overall / 2nd Masters / 1st 40-44

Next up -

Setting my sights to sub-17 very tough prospect but with-in my capabilities.

(and a year ago I was dreaming of sub 20 in awe)

On a 5k, and at that level of racing, it's a huuuge PR. Congratulations, Sly! Great racing, you've been running extremely well this season. You must give me all of your secrets, please. :-) I'm pretty sure I could not run one puny mile (or even half of one...) at any of the paces you ran in that 5k.  And congrats also on your awesome ranking!

Wow, that's a huge PR for you, and a great race overall!  Love that you had such tough competition the whole way!

Awesome PR and great racing!  Excellent job taking down the competition.

I liked your pacing, get your mile PR during a mile race not a 5k, nicely executed!

That's a nice chunk of time to whack off of your personal best, how long ago did you run your previous PR of 18:13?

And ditto on the sub-20:00 not long ago.  It's funny though how with an increase in fitness comes an increase in expectations, and now what was once treasured is viewed in a completely different light.

Congrats on your race and the new PR!   Glad you did not have to negotiate any misplaced shopping carts since the finish was behind a shopping center and hidden from view....that would be awful, making  the turn to the finish...and running into a shopping cart.

Beast! (well earned)

It's not just masters that have to worry about you these days, Sly.  Great race, it was exciting to read about your battle with the "known" competitor.  (He is probably writing a RR about how some crazy guy surged at 3 miles and was unstoppable from there to the finish.)

Brr

Thanks!, Damn skippy the race is on my calendar for next year! Last July I finally officially went sub-20 and told my then brand new coach. His response? "Great, now we get to aim for sub-18 then the 16's."   I told him he was full of it...   egg in my face eh? (a ton of work to go though)

happylily

Many thanks!  Secrets?  Damn hard work, a great coach that I trust and have given myself to be trainable and doing my best to learn from my racing mistakes.  We can argue some genetics but *shrug*, all I know is there are mucho faster folks out there.

B-Plus

I have hit a 5:24 in my previous 5k PR only to start melting at mile 2.  I think I am fairly close to a sub-5 mile, but that has yet to be proven.

Zelanie

Agreed! I can guarantee that he helped, and coincidentally he also PRd, so I must have helped him as well.

PAD

*wink* see you this week and get you sped up also!

Dtothe2nd

As you recently experienced, after a prolonged battle it is way too easy to just give in.  It was close but I won that mental battle!

Jack

You aren't joking, there are some seriously fast runners out there. And there is always someone to shoot for!

I have gotten into the habit of running back my 5ks for cool down.  It really helps after a hard race and I find that I can tell how hard the race was based on my condition on the cool down.

LRB

My last 5k PR was from February 8th 2014 I ran an 18:13 (and that is where I did my 1 mile PR of 5:24).

And agreed on changing perspective and expectations.  To note I have not done any 5k specific plan or training, this is all normal coach speed work (you have read some of them) and HM plan training.

wcrunner

Much appreciated. Yes, sometimes those mistakes are a great teaching point.  One of the training techniques that my coach does is arbitrary fartlek distance.  ie:  we all start in a group in a small course and he calls 'Fast' and 'Slow'.  You have no idea how far or how fast you should go.   Sometimes you are pushing for a 100-200 and 800+ later he calls 'Slow'.   I hate it, it hurts but man does it prepare you for pain in a race.

scotty

Hah!  That would have been BAD!   The end of the course was clear though and well manned.

music_girl

I wouldn't go that far, but much appreciated!  Yes the temperature and humidity is largely what makes me so confident on going sub-17 eventually.  Keep up the training and stay healthy you will improve. (and learn from your mistakes!)

Jay

Hahah, many thanks Jay and that is the plan, no-one is safe! 

My mind was reeling and I just imagined he was coming to take it back.  Though I put the hurt on him, I was about 2 seconds behind him when I kicked and finished 4 seconds ahead.

Oski

Some space between 1&3:

15:15, 16:31, 17:03, 17:18, 17:21, 17:23 then me at 17:30.