Short Version:

WV 5K Championship.  "A" goal - 18:29.  "B" goal - 18:37 (PR).  "C" goal - DNF.

Results.  18:33 (5:58 pace).  2nd place 50-54 males

More important results.  You'll have to read the long version.

Long Version:

The West Virginia 5K Championship was this morning.  It has been a long time since I ran a flat 5K and my training has been sporadic at best.  Still, I think I can PR and I'm pretty much willing to blow up if I fail.  The reason is that my PR is dead on a 6:00 pace and I want so badly to be under 6:00.

I got in the car this morning and knew from the outset that it might be a difficult day.  It was coolish (64 degrees) but I had to turn on the AC because it was so humid my windshield was fogging.  Blech.  Made the 40 minute trip from my house to Huntington.  Parked, got out, and started my warm up.  I questioned whether I should do my full warm up given the conditions but I did anyway.  Here's the routine.  1 mile easy, very easy jogging.  I did that mile at a 9:08 pace which is 1:30 slower than my easy pace.  Then 1/4 mile @ easy effort, 1/4 mile @ marathon effort, 1/4 mile @ tempo effort, and 1/4 mile @ 5K effort.  Try not to panic when easy effort is something like 8:05 because I'm not fully warmed up.  The 5K effort clocked in around 5:50 so good stuff.  Then, 1/4 mile jog + 1/4 mile @ 5K effort + 1/4 mile jog + 1/4 mile @ 5K effort.  Switch from 7 ounce Mizuno Wave Ronin's to 3.5 ounce New Balance MRC 5,000's.  During the switch, I note that I am sweating profusely.  Not good.  Do 3 strides and line up.  I try to time my warm up so that I finish it about 5 minutes before the gun.  Perfect timing today except that I need to cool down a bit before the start.  I manage to do so but still wonder if overheating will present a problem.  The sun is now out in full force, there is zero shade, and the course is on pavement the entire route.

During the race, I occasionally look at my Garmin for per mile pace but the print is way too small for me to see the actual time at each mile marker at a 5K effort so I don't try.  I got out fast but some 25:00+ moron always lines up with the sub 20:00 crowd.  I actually had to shove him out of the way.  I got out very hard in the first 200 yards and then, horror.  My left groin muscle tightened rather painfully.  I nearly pulled out it hurt so badly but I decided to keep going to the next curve in the road and then take a DNF if it kept hurting.  Obviously, it quit.  I know I'm going way too hard so I try to settle into a sustainable pace.

I hit Mile 1 at what appears to me to be 5:58 on the clock and I'm thinking, "you always fade in the 2nd mile so don't let that happen."  I immediately pick up the effort but that proves costly.  I can't maintain it and have to pull back a bit.  During this mile though, I pass quite a number of people.  They're the folks that went out gangbusters and are fading.  Some young guy has a Camelback, is wearing VFF's and listening to music.  Good lord.  The one other person in my AG I think will likely beat me passes me during this mile and continues to put distance between us.  I know I won't catch him but if I can maintain contact, I think I'll be in good shape.  The suckfest starts just past the halfway point which is as it should be.  When I look at the clock at Mile 2, it says 11:53 so I have a 7 second cushion.  I know I'll need it because there is about a 20 foot gradual rise around Mile 2.8.  If you were out for an everyday easy run, you'd never notice it.  In the last half mile of a 5K, it's a mountain.

I hammer past the Mile 2 marker making up some time I know I'll lose on the rise.  I hit the rise and died.  Just died.  Well, only partially true.  I think I let the discomfort get to me and I think I could have pushed harder up the hill.  I'm a bit irritated that I gave in at this point, especially since racers I was closing in on manage to put ground on me up this rise.  Grrrrr.

I crested the rise and there is the slightest downhill.  I tried to pick it up but couldn't.  My legs had nothing.  Then, I hit the 3 mile mark at a time I know means I'll break a 6:00 pace and I think 18:29 might be possible so I lay into it with everything I have left.  After the race, a guy tells me that when I passed him in that last 0.1, he tried to keep up but couldn't.  That's cool except for the fact that having that much left in my legs tells me I left at least a little time out there.  Maybe not.

Splits from the Gospel according to Garmin:

Mile 1 - 5:52

Mile 2 - 6:00

Mile 3 - 5:59

Mile 3.1 - 5:17 (see what I mean)

The Best Parts

One of my cousins started running last year.  He was very overweight but has stayed in touch on FB.  He has lost a significant amount of weight and is continuing to run.  He lives a few hours from here but came in because his 80 year old mother was walking the race.  Once I had finished, I went back to find him but didn't see him.  I continued my jog until about 1.5 miles back I found my aunt.  I turned around and walked the race with her.  That was super cool.  Then, we saw my cousin maybe a quarter mile from the finish and he went with us as well.  My aunt took an award for the oldest finisher.  My cousin had a bit of a disappointing race but we both attributed that to the heat.  I am convinced that you can tolerate nearly any amount of heat for 15-20 minutes but after that you will begin overheating.  Thus, if you are fairly quick, your 5K time won't be affected but if you are slower, it will be.  I base that on how long it takes me to bonk on a hot tempo run and it's about 25 minutes.

After the awards - and oh yeah, if you're just going to stay for your award, leave now.  Bugs the living shit out of me when people pick up an award and leave rather than staying to applaud for everyone.  At the race I'm RD for in October, we're going to start with the oldest folks and work our way down.

Anywho, as I'm leaving, an older gentleman stops me and asks if I'm the guy in the paper who ran 50 miles on his 50th birthday.  Yep.  That's me.  He tells me that reading my story is the reason he started running.  Wow.  I have no idea how to respond to something like that except to say, "that's terrific."

The Only Bad Thing

The damn ice cream store doesn't open until 11:00 and I had to head home around 10:15.  I may have to force myself to drink a beer tonight to compensate for that tragedy.

OK.  This Makes No Sense At All

The official results are now posted and here are my official splits:

Mile 1 - 5:55.8

Mile 2 - 12:15.9

Mile 3 - 17:57.7

Mile 3.1 - 18:32.9

See that Mile 2 split?  It's not just me.  Almost every result I see has a Mile 2 split that doesn't make sense and I know how dejected I would have felt if I had seen 12:15 at Mile 2.

Hell of a job LTH.  Those splits are great, and I agree.  You should force yourself to drink a beer.  I think that inspiring others is one of the best parts about running.  I've been amazed at how many of my friends have taken up running, or some other sort of healthy activity to get back into shape since I started.  It's a great feeling.  I might even force myself to drink a beer tonight to celebrate your race.

Nice report, great race.  Congrats on going sub-6:00.

Sometimes it's hard to relate to the RRs you fasties write, but this one hit home.  The "easy, very easy jogging" at 9:08 is right where I do my speed work.  

Very cool about family and random strangers being inspired by your example.  I think that despite our efforts, the biggest contributions most of us make to the world are things we never know about.

I agree with Ginny, you are entitled to a Beer and Icecream!!!

Great race and how cool to join the family.

Great run, LtH! Man, you really nailed it and 4 seconds off your A goal. Also, that is very cool that someone recognized you from your 50 mile article. That would have made me feel like a rock star! Enjoy your beer(s) tonight, you earned it (them).

 

Very cool about family and random strangers being inspired by your example.  I think that despite our efforts, the biggest contributions most of us make to the world are things we never know about.

^^ This!

Great race! Always inspiring!

Nice Job Brad, and great job by your Aunt.

Nice race, nice report. Going sub-6 average for a 5K is damn good. Congrats on the PR.