Luv2Run Boston 5K - PR - Race Report (Read 468 times)

Background: Having run a couple of marathons in the last two years and, having plans to try and significantly improve my marathon time next year, I'm spending this summer and fall gradually establishing a stronger mileage base (for the time being, this = 40mpw for me) and adding regular speedwork into my schedule. To measure progress, I'm running some 5K and 10K races during this time. My 5K PR up to this point was 20:13; today I was hoping to break 20 minutes. Today: Got to the race only 25 mins before the start, unusual for me (we had a few navigation issues en route). While I stood in the obligatory line for the restrooms, my wife registered for me, which meant I had a few minutes for a warm up run and some stretching. They had so many more entrants than they expected (270 in total) that they delayed the race by 15 minutes so that everyone could get their pre-race bathroom break done. Just before the race started the race director announced that the course had been somewhat short of 5K, but that they'd just adjusted it to be correct. I lined up in the second row and we set off chasing the bicycle that led us round the course. For the first couple of minutes I was at the back of a steadily elongating pack of runners following the bicycle down the bank of the Charles River - thereafter it pulled out of sight. As we approached the 6 minute mark I was hoping to see the 1-mile marker. As we approached the 7 minute mark I was hoping NOT to see it - turns out there were no mile markers, so I tried to stick with an older guy in a green singlet who seemed to be holding a good steady pace. I couldn't quite stay on his shoulder through the second mile, but did feel like I was holding a consistent, strong pace. I made up a couple of places as people in front of me fell back, but chose not to push the pace to try and overtake others. One of the guys I passed gave me some good words of encouragement as I passed him (I could only manage a weak thumbs up) - I didn't mind when he passed me again a couple of minutes later. It felt like I was running just below my limit, and I wanted to leave something for the last 1/4 mile. When my watch read 17:00 (so I guessed I had about 3 minutes / half a mile to go) I drew level with the guy who'd encouraged me earlier. This time he told me he was going to stick with me, and that if I ran hard, he'd run hard too. I didn't want to kick for home this far out, but we did pick up the pace and, running shoulder to shoulder, started to bear down on the guy in green. Seconds later, as we re-entered the park we'd started in, one of the volunteers shouted to me that I was in 10th. I'd never finished in the top 10 before and wanted to hold that position - but I had nothing left when my running mate pulled away and charged down the runner in the green singlet, shouting encouragement to him all the way (I've just watched the video my wife shot at the end - the guy's sprinting to the finish line shouting "Push that! Push that! Push that!" to the guy he's trying to beat the line!). They both finished ahead of me, and I came in 11th overall. I was astonished to cross the line in 19:02, but wasn't elated at all. I assumed the course was significantly short and was kind of narked that I'd put in all that effort only to record a time which felt kind of meaningless. However, after the race I chatted to a few other runners; most of them thought the course was fine. My wife also spoke to the race director who told her the same story about the adjustment to the course. So I got kind of a delayed happiness in running this big PR - mainly because I doubted that I could really have done it. I guess adding regular speedwork and tempo runs to my weekly schedule has really helped. After the race I was presented with my first ever 'trophy' - a pint glass bearing the race logo - because I had won the 30-39 age group ( I got beat by at least a couple of 40+ guys though!). Still, it's a prize. And from now on I'm probably going to be the only guy in the world with a special trophy cabinet proudly displaying a dusty pint glass.

awesome --- congrats! Pint glass put to good use one would hope