The 5k challenge

May's blog is a summary of  my lessons learned about the 5k run challenge.  I've always misunderstood sprints of all levels...oh those are for the fast people, the young people, those that don't have time to train long people and they are so expensive for the money you pay... WHY would anyone my age want to do a 5k?  My coach says.. Just Try It !  ( fine.. this is dumb....just so you know! I'm a turtle.)

I signed up for Jan 11 Rum Run 5k. Coach said, "80% effort mile 1, 90% effort mile 2 and 100% effort mile 3".... What the Hell does that mean?  I decided to go out comfortable and then at each mile marker, pick it up a bit. I chased a couple little girls into the finish line and whaaa laaa it was over in about 29 minutes AVG HR 169....hmmm that was a little exhilarating!  3rd place in my AG?? WOW! Coach asks, " Did you give it your all?"  I don't know, maybe not, I was thinking about how hard my workout is tomorrow, so probably not. Besides doesn't that hurt?... Coach says, Yes and Try AGAIN.  Don't think. Just run. (didn't you hear me? I'm a turtle.. ok FINE)

Cardiff Kook 5k

I signed up for Feb 1 Cardiff Kook's 5k.  Coach said, " RUN HARD "  What?  how fast is hard? I warmed up at a faster pace and inserted some sprints.  I had seconds to spare before the gun went off.  There were a lot of people.  there were a couple jumps in elevations that worried me but I just ran and tried to pick it up at each mile marker but my lungs seared at mile 2 and it seemed to go on forever! laps 8:44, 9:52, 8:48. avg HR 162 finish 27:26 and 5th AG.  I decided that I don't like mile 2.  Coach asks, " Did you give it your all?"  I don't know, maybe not.  It's scary to go into the pain cave for too long. Coach says, Yes and Try AGAIN.  Don't think. Just run. (OK FINE... this is dumb. I'm still a turtle, maybe just a little faster now)

I signed up for Mar 22 Hot Chocolate 5k with Jim as my pacer this time.  I just didn't think I could run any fastest alone. My brain is in the way.  I am too conservative and always save something at the end.  I asked Jim to pace me and for every second he could improve my avg pace, I would donate $5 towards his Smile Train charity.  this race scared me because it was my hilliest with a gain of 230 feet.  Coach says,  "1st mile 8:45, Mile 2 8:30, Mile 3 faster".  That is not possible!  Why do you think I can run in the 8's for 3 miles?  She said, " Because you can run a half marathon in 2 hours and your 5k pace is supposed to be much faster than your 1/2 marathon pace."  :You have not reached your potential yet." hmmm. I didn't know that.  I looked up the McMillan Run Calculator.  First, there's no way I'm counting that 1:59 half marathon because it was all down hill.  But I did SD Half in 2:01 pacing myself with one big hill so I used that result and the calculation said:

 

Distance	1Mi	5Km	10Km	1/2 Mar	Mar
Time	07:31.7	26:08:00	54:17:00	2:01:00	4:14:39
Pace/Mi	7:31	8:25	8:44	9:14	9:43

100m

22.1

-

4000m

20:27.9

8:14

I probably blinked my eyes 10 times reading this data....IS THIS FOR REAL?? Coach believes it so it must be real right?  This is a pain calculator not a potential calculator! I'm supposed to run this fast?

 

Jim accepted the pacer job and I was determined to really give it my all this time.  Let's see what I've got in the tank!  Mile 1 was uphill avg 8:41, mile 2 burned but downhill avg 8:51, mile 3 avg 8:03 finishing at 26:13 and 6th of 400+ females my age.  Wow that was the most exciting 26 minutes of my life! I WANT TO DO THIS AGAIN!  I paid Jim's charity $145.  (Maybe I'm a turtle in a speed racer costume?)

Hot Choc 5k and 15K friends

 



Froyo5k with friends and family

I was pumped for IM Oceanside on Mar 28.  I would apply all my pacing lessons and have the best race ever!  I really wanted a sub 6:30 and felt I had earned it.  Well on the last easy bike ride, I hurt my neck and shoulder and tried everything to relieve it but I never got total relief and had a disappointing race.  My 1/2 marathon goal of racing the last 5k were dismal results.  I was at an all time low after the race. 



Then I got sick for 2 weeks full of coughing and misery.  There were no 5ks scheduled thankfully so it was basically a weak month of  training and healing in April.  My "April 5k" was the first weekend of May.

May 2 was the Froyo 5k.  Jim was my pacer, and Marcus and Ryan and Aliyah also joined in the fun.  I was not optimistic.  I felt I had lost my mojo and didn't have expectations but Jim tried his best to push me to go fast.  In fact I PR'd my first mile by accident, running a 7:53 mile which killed me on mile 2 down to 8:44 but we picked it up to 8:12 on mile 3 and I won 1st place in my AG with a 26:12 PR.   It was really painful but with shocking results at the same time.  The pacing was way off but we didn't really plan ahead for it.  I had forgotten about the importance since I didn't practice this during April. I decided that if I could PR after being sick that I should try one more 5k to try to break 26 minutes.



I signed up for a mother's day flat and fast race in Mission Bay named Girls on the Go. It had been raining and was cool.  This is not ideal weather for me.  Granted I love cool running but the dampness and high HR is the trifecta for me to struggle with exercise enduced asthma.  For some reason the humidity makes my throat spasm and I can't take deep breaths with a high HR.  Jim and I tried to start out slower this time.  We did better but still not slow enough at 8:09.  I need to run about 8:25 to warmup so I have more to give in mile 2.  But by the tine we approached mile 2, I could hear my breathing strain.  Jim was worried but I had already had 3 puffs of the inhaler before the start.  I would just have to endure breathing through a straw and not panic.  It would be over soon and hoped Jim would catch my head if I passed out!   Mile 2 was 8:26 but my HR was at 180 which is about 97% of my max and it burned like hell and I saw stars often.  I grabbed Jim's arm and forced a deep breath but there was a gorilla grip around my throat.  I just pushed forward as best I could as a 10 year old flew by me!  My 3rd mile ended at 8:44 partly because of lack of oxygen and max HR still at 180 mi 3 and also because the course was poorly marked and we slowed at splits on the course trying to figure out the path.  I finished at 26:41 in 2nd place AG and unhappy I was so far off my goal.  However I earned 2 medals  finishing 2nd AG, which are beautiful and appropriate for Mom's day!


I'm taking a break from 5k racing as I have a 1/2 marathon and 3 IM 70.3 races upcoming so I need to stay healthy and train long.  I have learned a lot from these painful 5ks.  Pacing is critical and I need to improve greatly to break 26 minutes but I will come back to this strenuous goal in the Fall.  I have found that emptying my tank requires more recovery than I expected but at least I know that I have the capability to run faster than I ever expected. It really is within me.  It's been a great 5 month goal and I'm really glad I pushed out of my comfort zone and dabbled in the magic zone because it was pretty exhilarating!  My transition goal from short to long races is to apply this 5k speed to my longer races and really push harder at the end of my 1/2s and 70.3 races. 

 

 

3Mi

25:02

8:21