Summary
Another “reverse progression” 5k, this time on a course that was mostly downhill the last mile. Yes, I ran the downhill mile the slowest. Just over 27 minutes.
Long version
I had seen this race posted for a while and didn’t really pay much attention to it. Then I got a mass e-mail at work of all the events we had coming up. Turns out, this race supported the Down Syndrome Clinic at Kennedy Krieger Institute as well as the Catch a Lift Fund, which pays for gym memberships for injured veterans. The first race I ever did was for the Down’s Syndrome Clinic and after being a really long running event, it ended a year or two ago due to issues with the race site, so I decided to do this one.
Unlike my last race, I got there plenty early. Parking was a breeze. And then I had a major blonde moment. The race started & ended at DuBurns arena. I parked at the Canton Korean War Memorial park. It is DIRECTLY across the street from the arena. I have no clue what I was thinking, but I went to the left out of the parking lot and got a good ¼ mile down the road before I admitted I screwed up. Jogged back and realized packet pick up was right across the street from where I parked. Oh, I work maybe 1.5 miles from here and picked up lunch in this area on Friday, so I can't use the excuse I don't know the area. Got my packet, went across the street (at least I learn quick!) and then did about a mile warm up along the harbor promenade.
This was a first year race and there were loads of events this weekend around Baltimore, so there were just under 200 people. When we started to line up, no one wanted to get to the front. I was standing about 8 feet from the start, people just kept filling in behind. I know I have no business being in the first row, so really didn’t want to move up, despite the RD begging people to move to the start. The nice thing is that for the most part, people paid attention to the announcement for runners in front. The walkers, dogs and strollers were all in the back. Small miracle!
Races in Canton can follow 2 types of routes. One is to run parallel to the harbor, which makes for almost no elevation change. The other is to run away from the water, which means a slight, but steady up hill as you go away from the water. This race was the latter.
Mile 1 8:33
The race started at the arena, made a quick turn to run parallel to the water for maybe ¼ mile and then started the climb up to Patterson Park. One good thing about no one wanting to be up front was that I only saw 1 kid sprint and stop in the first 1/4 mile. He had the good sense to wait between two parked cars. I was also able to keep track of where I was placement wise. The first 2 women went by me fairly early. As we started the uphill, the 3rd place one went by.
I made a point of doing was thanking the Baltimore City cops at each intersection. They have been in the news far too often in the last month for not good reasons. I heard several runners behind me doing the same. It also let me know there was another woman pretty close behind and she was clearly feeling much better than me—cause while I was able to say thank you, she was able to say thank you sir/ma’am for your service. So yea, she passed me somewhere in this mile.
Mile 2 8:42
According to my Garmin, there was only 60 feet of elevation gain for the whole race. It felt like far, far more, especially in this mile. This mile was mostly within Patterson Park, which is a city park, that has all sorts of paths. The course ran along the outside of park, then did a loop that seemed to keep curving uphill forever. One other woman passed me somewhere in the park. She stopped at the water stop but quickly was back in front of me. The only other thing that stood out in this part was when I first got into the park, a little kid was running in front of me and totally incapable of staying in a straight line. I moved to one side and decided f-this, I'm running a straight line, he looked at me, so he knows I'm there, I'm not going to feel guilty if he runs into me while weaving like he's drunk. Fortunately, I passed him pretty quick.
Mile 3 9:14, last .1 9:38 pace??? (not sure, didn’t stop the watch right away, so this is all screwy)
This should have been the easiest part of the course, it was mostly downhill. Um, yea. Not quite. 2.25-2.5 was up hill, like 20 feet of gain. I know I had to run down that in mile 1, but seriously, it felt like I had been going uphill the entire freaking race. Coming down the hill, I started to get a horrendous cramp under my right rib. I tried running with my arms on my head (sure that looked interesting), then really slowed for about 30 seconds to try to get it under control. This last part seemed to take forever. I don’t know that I got any semblance of a kick, but whatever, I was done. I saw the clock click over the 27 minutes, so not thrilled about that.
Post Race
I did another mile or so along the promenade, towards the very end, the stitch returned, which was really odd because I was going at a very easy pace. The promenade is a really nice place to run. There was a breeze off the water, the harbor didn’t stink today and there were no bodies floating around.
I knew I was 6th woman, so at worst I’d be 3rd in my AG. After the top 3, the other 2 woman were different AG, so AG win with a less than stellar time (over 27 minutes).
Not sure at what point I need to admit that more days& more miles doesn’t seem to be working for me. I’ve been pushing 30 miles spread over 5 days for much of this year (up from an average of 20 miles in 4 days last year). Aside from a HM PR, my 5k times have gotten slower, despite adding faster speedwork back in May.
Good RR, but I'm sorry the race didn't turn out like you had hoped. It does sound like a really hard course to me; curving uphills are tough.
How much and what kind of speedwork are you doing? Perhaps it is a bit too much, either in volume or in pace, for where you are right now, and that is leaving you fatigued? And having the stitch obviously wasn't helping; I don't have any advice for how to prevent that, but I don't think you should beat yourself up over your time; it sucks dealing with that in a race.
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)
Good RR, but I'm sorry the race didn't turn out like you had hoped. It does sound like a really hard course to me; curving uphills are tough. How much and what kind of speedwork are you doing? Perhaps it is a bit too much, either in volume or in pace, for where you are right now, and that is leaving you fatigued? And having the stitch obviously wasn't helping; I don't have any advice for how to prevent that, but I don't think you should beat yourself up over your time; it sucks dealing with that in a race.
The half I did was in mid April. I was doing one day with HM pace (actually those runs wound up being a little faster than HM pace) and 1 day with hill repeats (1-3 minutes) prior to that race. After the race, I started doing intervals at the track at 5k or faster pace, 1/4 mile to 1/2 miles, usually the total of the intervals is 3 miles and then 1 day of longer (5-10 minutes) at 10k/tempo pace intervals. The weather has been a challenge, we went from sorta spring to summer in no time, so forget acclimating and when it's been 90+, all my runs have sucked.
I should know this type of course just sucks. At least this was a 5k, I have sworn I will never do the Baltimore marathon because you have to run away (uphill) from the harbor 2x during the race.
From the Internet.
Sorry to hear it didn't turn out the way you wanted AG win though, that's always fun!
To be totally honest, 30 miles isn't all that much, I wouldn't blame the mileage yet. And if you've only added faster speedwork in May, it may just take some more time - we're only one week into June after all. The course did sound tough, gradual uphills often take a lot more out of me than short, steeper climbs. Might be worth looking into ruling out low iron or other physical causes too. My ferritin dipped below normal when I was only running about 15 miles/week, I've been supplementing since then and it makes a big difference - I can tell when I start to get lazy and skip multiple days/weeks of supplements because I just feel like my feet are dragging.
Also sounds like you're doing a lot of intervals. I'd consider running solid 20-25 minute tempos or progression runs instead of tempo intervals. They really suck at the end, but they build stamina and prepare you really well to be uncomfortable and still push hard at the end of a race.
Super B****
I'm sorry the race didn't turn out the way you would have liked -- congrats on the AG win, though!(I will refrain from attempting to dole out any advice, since I am some sort of freak and normal rules don't seem to apply to me, so I don't really know what I'm doing.)
chasing the impossible
because i never shut up ... i blog
Another “reverse progression” 5k...
That is really not uncommon, you may be a little hard on yourself in that regard. Yes, I have run 5k's where the last mile was the fastest, but I have also run a ton more where it was the slowest.
Looking at the mile splits from your last two races 8:33, 8:42, 9:14 and 8:30, 9:00, 9:20 you actually ran a better race this time out. I am not sure you that are doing anything wrong, things have just not lined up yet.
As far as I see it, lift your head up and get back to training. Keep doing what you are doing (or make changes if you deem it necessary) and stay hungry, it will come together for you at some point.
Former Bad Ass
Good job. Sorry you are disappointed but a great race will come.
Damaris
delicate flower
Any elevation gain at 5K effort feels hard, even the slightest incline. I'm familiar with that type of cramp, too...it damn near derailed one of my 10K's a couple of years ago.
Don't let one race define where your fitness is. Sometimes on race day you just don't run your best, as I experienced yesterday.
<3
Lauren, I've been doing the tempo/10k pace stuff as intervals (with 1 minute rest) because of the quick transition to summer. I don''t do well with heat. By the 4th or 5th one, that rest period seems like a cruel joke. Some of it is an experiment--when I've done the longer tempo stuff, I am always at the slower end of the range on the calculators. If I do the intervals, I can do them at the faster end of tempo pace.
LRB, true, the splits look a little better. But it definitely takes a special talent to run a slower mile downhill.
Baboon, I think I need to go back to a bagel for breakfast. That seems to keep things at bay. Also not drinking water, as long as I stick to 5ks in the summer, I can do that part.
We share it. lol
You should do great when the temps cool off. One note regarding steady state tempo runs; I mostly do them in an actual race, the 10k. Run at my tempo pace.
Something to think about...
We share it. lol You should do great when the temps cool off. One note regarding steady state tempo runs; I mostly do them in an actual race, the 10k. Run at my tempo pace. Something to think about...
I tend to stay away from 10ks in the warmer months. If it is warm, after 5 miles or so, I start to drag. Maybe I'll try the annual 4th of July 10k. Hills & heat. Fun.
The 10k is definitely a cool weather or cloudy day, low humidity event. But for those seeking improvements in all other race distances, it is the magic pill...if there was such a thing.
Barking Mad To Run
Congrats on your race and the AG award.
Wow, only 60 feet elevation gain..that is about incredible for a race in hilly Baltimore area. I grew up in the DC area and went to Baltimore area a lot growing up...and it can be very hilly. Your race-route finder did a good job for you there!
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." Theodore Roosevelt
Fair enough, I think it's worth trying to alternate the intervals with steady state tempo (like every other tempo workout, do steady state instead of intervals) once you're more acclimated to the heat, though. It's fine for a steady state workout to be done slower than the pace you'd hit on tempo intervals, and whenever heat is a factor I go by effort more than pace for workouts anyway. Training through the heat at the right effort, even if the pace seems slower than it should, means you'll reap benefits when the weather finally does decide to cooperate!
Scotty, the elevation actually isn't too surprising. While Baltimore is hilly, it is gradual in the downtown/areas along the harbor. This race started basically at sea level and we were probably less than a mile from the water at the furthest point. There are actually a few flat races that run parallel to the harbor. I think there are some that start closer to downtown and use the harbor promenade. If you visit, I would not recommend them for you--there is no railing and the drop to the harbor is at least 6-8 feet and the harbor is deep & gross Once you get into the county, it gets way hillier. Most of the races I do have 200-ish feet of gain.