Miles to Health

Sunday, August 16, 2009

B'nai B'rith 5K Health Run

So after spending the rest of the day yesterday watching the English Premier Soccer League season openers, the Track and Field Championship in Berlin and last years Xterra Mountain Champion in Utah, I woke up this morning wanting to race, since it was only 6am I grab my laptop and did a quick search on The Running in the USA website, 2 races came up but I really wasn't interested in a them since they were 2 I had looked at in the past, so I went done to the Northeast Running Club website for some reason some of their races do not show up on the running USA website and their it was, the tie-dye t-shirt, this is significant because I also spend about 2 hours yesterday watching numerous programs celebrating the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, it was only $13 and a late start at 9am, so I had my race. I rolled back into bed and got back up at 7:15am, got dressed wearing the Brooks Skort and Underarmour heat guard top and ate half a cinnamon bagel.

Got to the race site and it took less than 5 mins to register, the ladies were efficient and to the point, went into the Rascal House Pizza to use the rest room since they gracious open early, then went out for a warm up jog, did 0.66 miles including some stride outs, I was hot and my body wasn't warming up properly, did the Dynamic Flexibility and that helped out quite a bit to loosen things up, but I was incredible hot and my heart rate was spiking, then I realize I had forgotten my water and was on the way to buy water from the Pizza place when the race director brought out water. So drank the water and stuck 2 cliff shot in my mouth.

So this is only my 2nd 5K this year and my 5th since I started running, my last PR was 26:06 (8:24 pace) at my last 5k June 7th, I really don't like 5Ks that much just a lot harder and no room for error, so on the way to the race I was wondering what my goal was, always have to have a goal.

Goal A: 8:17 pace (25:46) based on my Half Marathon Training using Brain Training for Runner's by Matt Fitzgerald, this was what I was shooting for when I got my last PR. Second time around with the training program

Goal B: 8:20 pace

Goal C: 8:24 pace

So for my virtual trainer in Garmin, I enter a race pace of 8:17

It wasn't a large race, after the confusion on where the start was every thing went pretty smoothly, it was ridiculously flat, couple of turns, the police were out helping direct traffic in busy areas, 2 water stops and some of the neighbours had their hoses and sprinklers running to cool us down.

The first mile I was question my sanity of deciding to run a race when I know it was going to be hot due to the late start, my legs felt fine but my breathing was labored so I knew I was in zone 4 and was doing everything in my power to control my breathing but due to the heat I was having no luck so worked on my breathing the best I can but kept on moving, by the first water stop I did stop to drink since I know I will shock due to being in zone 4, so grab a cup and dump it on my head, that felt great.

Mile 2, still working on controlling my breathing and my legs where still fine no aches, even though I was wearing a retired shoe (Saucony Grid Fastwitch Endurance) just love it for fast running and have been unable to find it and don't like the replacement. So what was my mantra for this run, "Dumb move to race, but dig deep, dumb move to race but dig deeper" not sure where the second water station was but I grab another cup and dump it on my head and the gut was hosing us down, felt great again.

Mile 3: I looked down at the virtual trainer and realize I was slightly behind but may be able to stay on pace so changed the mantra to "did deep, dig deeper", so I told myself I only had to maintain this pace for less than 8 mins now but had to stay in front or with the virtual trainer, so I will look and I will be in front then I will be behind, so at the last 0.3 miles when I could see the finish line, I sprinted, this is what I have always done in training, last mile is suppose to be the hardest and fastest, thought I was going to die but sprinted none the less, boy was I glad to be done.

Walk through the finish chute and gave the kids the bottom of my bibb and then went for a cool down jog and run. The best thing about this race was not that I left it all out there but the fact that 5 mins into my recovery jog I felt great, no aches and didn't even feel like I just ran a hard race, did 1.1 miles then went back and watch the rest of the runners come in.

Well organized, flat and small


Split
Time
Distance


Avg Speed
Max Speed
Avg HR
Max HR

Summary00:25:363.16

08:0605:25175224
100:08:171.00

08:1706:36172224
200:08:191.00

08:1905:25171177
300:08:051.00

08:0506:31182224
400:00:530.16

05:3406:15179188


Based on my Garmin exceeded Goal A, no official result yet but came in third in my age group, so based on 8 months of using Fitzgerald program I have significantly improve, PR before this year was 29:56 (9:39)

Official Result 25:35:58

Came back home made cinnamon pancakes and aspharagus,tomato & cheese omelet and then took a 2 hour nap.

Garmin recorded a straight line with no elevation so no real data to display.

Life is good

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Good for you! I remember you from the awards ceremony!