5000 meters as fast as you can...

Today was the Valentine's Day 5k. It was a chance to test my fitness, and see where I was at. Workouts seemed to point to something under 16. How far? Optimism said 15:40s. Pessimistic? 15:59.9

Welp, 15:58 it is! A new official PR. I ran 15:58 indoors last year during a training session. This was a chance to get it officially in the books! Job done.

I ran 5:04, 5:11, 5:09, 33. We'd strung out early and it was 10-25 meters between each of us in the top 6. By the 3rd mile I was stranded. Thankfully a buddy hopped in... Probably shouldn't have, but he wanted to run along. It was the best thing possible. I needed it. Otherwise I'd have run 5:17 for the last mile and missed it. 

Where to next? Hot Chocolate 15k and marathon training. So cheers with some Nuun (Orange flavor!) and keep grinding.

Seafair 8k Race Report

You need to carefully hone your super-goal pace.

Race: Seafair Torchlight Run 8k

Result: 25:58 for 12th out of a thousand+ people.

I honestly am not sure why I show up to Seafair each year. It has a trifecta I can't stand- warmth (80+ starting in the evening), inaccurate course (never 8k, never ever!), and a bunch of hills (a kid must have drawn the elevation map!). 

All that said, it was fun. As the saying above states: your super goal pace needs honing. So I went out in 5:12, followed by a 4:56 (garmin splits). I'm not in that sort of shape (5:05 average per mile). I paid for it as all super goal pace racers do. That is because super goal pace isn't really a pace you have any business running. Now or in the immediate future. Trust me. On one of the uphills around mile 2.5 I began to eat it. Legs... Have...no... Power....

Being that we strung out early on, it wasn't like there was a group or pack to sit in with. So I did what any sensible racer would do- I slowed down (not on purpose) and tried to not bury myself on the viaduct. 

Upon climbing the hill to the finish, I immediately told my wife "that was awful, and short, but sub 26! No one needs to know. And I'm not doing this again."

I'll need someone to reference this post in about 11 months when the itch to race Seafair arises yet again. 

String it together

Run where you're at, not where you want to be.

Mileage: 90.8

Workout: (Wed) 4x1 mile with 3 min rest, cutdown style- 5:21, 5:15, 5:14, 5:08.

Race: Seafair Torchlight 8k- 25:58 for 7th (course was .15-.17 short!). 

The challenge of 3, 4, 5 weeks of higher mileage is the cumulative fatigue. The daily runs feel fine- after about 30-40 minutes! The first few miles are "why am I doing this? Sleeping would be so much better!" 

The upside is daily runs are consistently in the 7:00-7:10 range on average. Usually the first mile or two is slow (7:30-7:45) followed by some miles sub 7. The new challenge is to fit in my core work more consistently. I often veg out on the couch, opting to relax instead. If 2-3 of those days had core work I think my running would improve. 

On tap this week: longish runs of 11-16 instead of double days. No real workout- maybe 4-6 miles around marathon pace as part of a longer run. Marathon training is around the corner, so I want to feel fresh.

Week ending 7/12

The more you run, the better you'll get.

Total miles: 92

Workouts: Wednesday- 2x1mile, 2x800 with 2 minutes rest. 5:23, 5:24, 2:35, 2:33.

Race: Run of the Mill 5k- 16:17, 12th.

Overall, it was a successful week. Wednesday I hoped to do 3x1mile and work down from half marathon to 5k pace. But the heat made running much faster than 5:20 pretty tough. The 800s were a solid mid workout compromise.

Racing also went well. I've learned to stop checking my watch when I race. I dial in on those around me and get settled. Looking at my watch throws me into a panic- "Am I too fast? Why am I so slow? God this doesn't feel good." The first mile was hard as it was an entirely steady uphill. It's followed by a downhill that isn't down enough, and winds on a path. The last mile is entirely downhill but the damage is already done. I settled into 5:15-5:20 until the final downhill.

The legs are tired but I feel like I'm turning a corner. My aerobic system feels good, and I settle into 6:45-7:00 once I'm warmed up (and awake!).

Onward to 100.