Notes
Throughout the week I began to think it would be pointless to run the 5k. Sure, I could probably easily win, but then I'd just have a slightly better medal and an hour to kill before others finish. The past 3 days since the long run have not gone well though and I was pretty concerned on not only my energy levels but also my lower legs not being 100%. The weather was appealing to me though. I thought with the chilly temps and wind, I could get Drew to start off easier (if only it was raining too, that would have been great).
Unfortunately the pace started off hot, I went with it and looked back, realizing if I didn't run with this group (Drew, Canton, and pacer Rebel), then I wouldn't be running with anyone. We calmed down after the mile and I just drafted for another couple miles. I summited the first hill right with the leaders, but every step downhill felt like my feet just slapping the ground. I couldn't find a rhythm so I just ran in the grass hoping to minimize damange to the rest of my legs. Lost a lot of ground right away and that was it. At times I thought I might be catching up, but probably not. My guess is a combination of non-recovered legs and not used to running fast on concrete downhills (especially in flats that have a good amount of miles on them). The good news was that I didn't destroy myself on the middle hilly section and with 5 miles to go I was feeling good and hitting a solid pace on the flats. Thankfully it didn't take much effort to pick up the pace because I was not near anyone else and I could have jogged in and not get passed. Rolled in feeling pretty good and finished feeling I could go another couple miles at that pace. Time was 1:13 which I didn't believe right away. Maybe add a few minutes to that, so I'm not counting this as a PR.
My reflection: It was a solid run that should build me up instead of breaking me down. It's clear I'm getting into better shape and perhaps even my aerobic capacity and speed are near what it used to be. However, it still seems my problem is just general running strength and ability, I need to become a true runner again that can handle different conditions. Also, it might not hurt to prepare specifically for races like this (such as running more downhills and on sidewalks)
Loop de Loop