On July 1, I flipped the page on my wall calendar.

And then stared in consternation, because July 26 — AKA, the day of the Shore Road 5K, for which I am registered — is Tisha b’Av.

We’re not even going to get into how incredibly incensed I am about this, because it’s bad for my blood pressure.  Let’s just say it made it seem ever more fortuitous that I had registered for the fourth Al Goldstein race the previous day, because I had been counting on the Shore Road 5K to be my July race since the 4th is on a Saturday.  OF COURSE.  I guess these Wednesday races kill two birds with one stone, since it’s generally my speed day anyway.

Unlike the June 3 Al Goldstein race, this time we were not blessed with perfect running weather.  (81°, dew point near 70° … not nearly as bad as Queens, but still plenty sticky.)  Nor did I have the advantage of avoiding Zoo Hill, because it was back to the usual course — just under a full loop of the park.

Given these factors, I didn’t think a PR was in the cards.  I figured aiming for tempo pace was reasonable — so around 7:20/mi, 22:45 or so.  And I wanted to pace myself better than I did last time.  A PR is a PR, true, but I’d rather not get there via a positive split that renders it way more painful than necessary.

I was lined up right at the front since there’s no timing mat at the start.  This turned out to be a very good thing indeed, because — spoiler alert — I squeaked out a tiny PR that would not have been a PR had I lined up any farther back.

Zoo Hill is in the first mile.  Even though I hate climbing that hill in races (though it does seem shorter when I’m running faster!), it served me well here because it made it hard to run the first mile too stupidly fast.

Since I had already established that I really do possess the ability to run a 22:00 5K, I wasn’t scared to look at my watch.  I was satisfied with the first mile split, gained some time in the second mile (pretty much all downhill), and then failed in my attempt to run a perfect negative split.  I honestly didn’t think I was going to PR, because I didn’t hurt as badly as I did last time, and for some reason my calculations kept bringing me to just over 22:15.  Math on the run doesn’t always work.  (Hell, if you’re me, math rarely works at all.)

Imagine my surprise, then, when I first made out the numbers on the finish line clock and realized that I would be able to PR if I picked it up a bit!

I’m not wholly displeased.  I went out a wee bit too fast (surprise!… not), but managed to rein myself in almost immediately and then ran pretty steady throughout.  With the requisite sprint for the finish, of course.

Running more even splits was so much easier, it’s kind of amazing.  Don’t get me wrong — it still hurt plenty.  But once I finished, I didn’t have to spend five minutes gasping for air before regaining the ability to utter a word.  Considering that the weather was nowhere near as ideal as last time, and that the course was harder… well, can’t complain about the result.

Two-second PR!  Garmin had me at 3.13 miles in 21:58, 7:02/mi.  (I have no idea why that says 7:04 up there.)

Official results… 3.1 miles in 21:57, 7:05/mi.  69/290 OA, 10/107 F, and 3/32 F 30-34.  That AG placement was really unexpected this time!

Even though it was just two seconds… McMillan Predictions.

1mi — 6:19.4
4mi — 28:32 (7:08/mi)
5mi — 36:24 (7:17/mi)
10K — 45:35 (7:20/mi)
15K — 1:10:38 (7:35/mi)
10mi — 1:16:12 (7:37/mi)
HM — 1:41:38 (7:45/mi)
FM — 3:33:53 (8:10/mi)

…Yeah, that Toronto 15K really rankles now.  And I’ve got to fix the 10K and 10 mile situation.

Paid homage to Independence Day… since I have to skip the July 4th race this year.  ANGRY FACE.  (Coincidentally, I last wore those shoes on July 4, 2013.  No idea why; I’ve always loved them.)

Congrats!  You've been racing so well lately!  Maybe it is time to work on some other distance PRs.

Smile when you say "just"  or "little" in reference to a 5K.     Or big brother 50K will beat you up.

Hell, if you’re me, math rarely works at all.

1mi — 6:19.4
4mi — 28:32 (7:08/mi)
5mi — 36:24 (7:17/mi)
10K — 45:35 (7:20/mi)
15K — 1:10:38 (7:35/mi)
10mi — 1:16:12 (7:37/mi)
HM — 1:41:38 (7:45/mi)
FM — 3:33:53 (8:10/mi)

Not even sure why I am bringing this up since not many here will get the reference, but there was a song once by LL Cool J called Droppin' 'EM. That is you have been doing to your race times this year.

Anyway, how much time do you spend running at the fast end of your training paces?

 Docket -- yeah, me too.  It wasn't a mistake this time. 

Zelanie -- if you're referring to a 10K, you can forget it!  (I'm lying.  I actually am looking for one, albeit later in the year when there's less chance of death by humidity.)

Cyberic, hog4life, Dave -- thanks!

wcrunner -- I don't smile.  But I might have been a little facetious, if that helps??

 

Anyway, how much time do you spend running at the fast end of your training paces?

Hmmm... that's hard to gauge, given the AlterG!!  But for those I do outside, I'd say I stay somewhere in the middle of the range for long/easy runs, and probably closer to the faster end for the speed stuff.

 

Let me rephrase that.

 

Do you train at 5k and mile pace?

Mile pace, hell no!  5K pace... occasionally.  But not for a while since of late, races have been replacing my speed work

Congrats. Would like to see what you can do at the mile.

We'll find that out in September!! 

(I'm kind of terrified, actually.  I think the mile is the most painful distance I've ever raced.  I mean, it ends a lot sooner than other distances, which is good, but... ouch.)