Beginners and Beyond

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attempt #3 at the sub-40 5 mile/8k finish - RR (Read 44 times)

music_girl117


    This was attempt #3 at a sub-40 5 mile or 8k race. My first was this same race last year, which I got 40:36. Then in April I did an 8k and got 40:04. 8k is 0.03 miles shorter than 5 miles, so that accounted for some of the time, but my pace was a tad faster in that race. I’ve had some good running this fall, with my long runs being especially fast and strong, although I’ve also been battling hip pain, but I was nearly positive I’d get the sub-40 today, and possibly go sub-39 as well.

     

    So, weather-wise, the 37 F and sunny skies were good, but the 10-15 mph sustained winds were BAD. Just driving to the race I had to fight the steering wheel to stay in my lane. Since this race takes place in a big park, I was hoping the trees might give us a little shelter.

    I arrived really early and decided to run to a Starbucks that was about 0.8 miles down the road for my warmup. I jogged over there and the *instant* I walked in, this guy got up and said really enthusiastically “are you running the Hamilton Hangover??”. I said yeah, and he told me that his buddy was running it. He asked what time I was hoping to run, and I told him, and he said that that sounded great. He said he and his friend used to run 25 minutes for 5 miles in college (btw is that plausible? I have no concept of college times), but now they are in their 50s so not anymore. He wished me luck and I thanked him. He seemed super excited to talk to a runner. I was curious why he wasn’t running the race but didn’t ask (maybe an injury or something).

     

    So anyway, I ate a banana at Starbucks and ran back to the park for the start. I made a point of lining up a little further forward than last year, since I remembered having some trouble locking into my pace due to the crowds. The gun went off and we were off! Mile 1 was fine; I was able to get to my desired pace (~7:45) pretty quickly. Not much to report for this mile, but I finished it in 7:52. Right about the 1 mile mark, we passed some spectators that were just standing there dead silent. This guy next to me yelled out “great enthusiasm, I love it!”. That cracked me up, and he and I started chatting a little. Can’t really have a conversation at that pace, but a couple of words here or there. He said his goal was sub-40 and hopefully an AG placement (he was probably late 50s or so), and I said mine was sub-39 (though I was already aware that I was not running  fast enough for this, and honestly I could already tell with the wind that this was not looking likely). We finished mile 2 together in 7:55.   In mile 3 we had to run a long stretch into the wind, and it was like running into a freakin’ brick wall. I was trying my hardest to hit 7:45-7:50 but my lungs were screaming. I got 8:03 for that mile, which, looking back, really was not bad for such a strong wind, but I was really crushed. I knew the sub-39 was gone and sub-40 was the best I could hope for. About this point, I started dragging behind my new friend. I finished mile 4 in 8:10, and that sub-40 I felt so confident about coming into the race was slipping away. I was so, so tired and I still had to run a mile that included a short, steep uphill (I remembered it from last year). And what did I do? I started walking on that hill. Ugh. I haven’t walked in a race since my first HM in fall of 2012. Sad After about 20 seconds I got moving again, but then I took another ~15-20 second walk break a little later. The wind was just defeating me. Finally I came around the last turn and crossed the finish line in 40:45. 9 seconds slower than last year.

     

    After the finish, I grabbed some water and did a very slow, creaky cooldown of 1.4 miles. I looked around for the guy I had been running with. I wanted to ask him if he got his sub-40, but I didn’t see him. Looking at the results online now, I see a guy that was 60 who ran 39:48; that might be him. And if that’s the guy, then he also got 3rd in his age group. Nice!

     

    There are a few good takeaways from this. 9 seconds slower with ~40 seconds of walking, which I didn’t have last year, means that my running *was* a little faster overall. Also my hip never hurt during the run. It did start hurting during the cooldown though.

    So, the sub-40 will have to wait for another day. I will not get a chance in April since the 8k that I did last year is the same day as a half that I am signed up for. Now I will turn my focus to said half marathon. I may do a Valentines Day 5k to help me zero in on where my fitness is for the half.

    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)

    Docket_Rocket


      Sorry you did not get your sub-40, but nice job on the race!

      Damaris

       

      As part of the 2024 London Marathon, I am fundraising for VICTA, a charity that helps blind and visually impaired children. My mentor while in law school, Jim K (a blind attorney), has been a huge inspiration and an example of courage and perseverance. Please consider donating.

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      LRB


        There is a way to adjust your final pace after a race according to wind speed but I am unfamiliar how to do it.

         

        Wind can be as defeating as heat so that you hung as long as you did was great. You probably could've have slowed just a tad running into the headwind to save the energy expended but those are things you learn.

         

        Nice job all the same, racing all out at any distance ain't easy!

          Nice job.  Sorry the wind was so bad.

          music_girl117


            Thank you all.  It was a really tough race.  Actually, I was just toggling back and forth between this year's results and last year's, and quite a few of the people that finished faster than me both years slowed down by 40-60 seconds this year.  Makes me feel a little better that my slowdown was less!

            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)

            Cyberic


              Nice race and report music girl. You'll get that sub 40 next time when there's less wind.

                Nice job! Sorry about the wind. Sad It seems like you do have a sub-40 in you, though! Smile Good luck with your future races.

                5k - 25:15 (11/18/12)

                10k - 1:01:51 (2/14/15)

                10mi - 1:33:18 (3/2/14)

                HM - 2:06:12 (3/24/13)

                 

                Upcoming Races:

                Benched until further notice. :/

                 

                Everything you need is already inside. [[Bill Bowerman]]


                on my way to badass

                  Nice job! I ran a hangover race too and it was a beautiful day except for the wind. That sub-40 is so close!

                  Still waiting for the perfect race picture. 5K PR-33:52 , 10K PR 1:11:16, First HM 2:42:28

                  B-Plus


                    Sorry about the wind. You'll get it for sure next time.

                      Thank you all.  It was a really tough race.  Actually, I was just toggling back and forth between this year's results and last year's, and quite a few of the people that finished faster than me both years slowed down by 40-60 seconds this year.  Makes me feel a little better that my slowdown was less!

                       

                      Music girl,  even though I'm way much slower than you, I compare runners and their race from the previous year to this year's performance too to verify whether it was me or the conditions impacted my performance.  Good job in less than ideal conditions.

                      “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” - T.S. Eliot