Thursday, December 22, 2011

Turkey Trot new 5k PR

The short of it, I ran 23:05 good enough to beat my race day pr by 3:11 and beat my pb by 12 seconds. This actually was the first race I ever ran sub 30 coming in with a 29:49 last year.

I forgot how much I hated this 5k in a years time though and the only reason it seems I sign up for it as its so cheap and close to home. Last year it was just 3 cans of food, this year 3 cans of food and $5. I think I need to swear it off next year as it is easily my least favorite 5k I have done.

This is only the second race I have ever done more than once (the first being the Snow Canyon half I ran 3 weeks ago) so I was at least familar with the course. And I like that it is a STG race meaning it is measured accuratly something that wasn't done last week.

My son didn't want to go to sleep Thursday night probably because of all the excitement and the Tebowmania that was going on in the house (yes I am finally sold on Tebow and asked the wife to get me a Tebow jersey for Christmas). Lots of screaming at the tv was to be had and a riled up 2 year old who wouldn't go to bed tell almost 12:30. So I got less than 6 hours of sleep all night and was so tired at work Friday. This did mean I went to bed early on Friday and got a nice 9 and half hours of sleep being so exhausted from the previous day.

Woke up around 7:30 and had the usual morning breakfast, banana some peanuts and leftovers from the fridge (spaghetti pie). Left the house around 8:30 and got to the race just a little before 9. Signed up and then chilled while I waited for the start. I realized on the drive over I had forgot my ipod but was ok with that as I wanted to set a pr and honestly a 5k is less than 25 minutes I can run easily without music for that short of time.

Met up with my usual stalker lady from my local races (not sure if its me stalking her or if she is stalking me) that I see in almost every 5k I do as well as a few halves and the one 12k. We talk for a bit and she tells me she is not going for a time. It seems so odd a year ago she smoked me at a 5k when I flamed out the last mile and had a 31:xx and now I am beating her by 14 minutes (stayed around and cheered her at the finish and she came in at 37:xx).

They announce for us to line up and they are doing a 5k and fun run 1miler and they are both starting at the same time. This means the entire front of the lineup was all kids running the mile. Inner groan goes off but I know most kids will flame out soon enough and I can get past the mob soon enough. Sure enough I did pass every kid before we hit their half mile turn around.

This is an out and back course and about a half mile in you hit the area that makes me hate this 5k so much. It's a farmers dirt track road for a half mile (and of course a half mile on the way back too) that just makes my shins ache running on it. I am city runner all streets and sidewalks for me I hate trails and dirt tracks. I just never seem to be able to kick it up on these dirt tracks and I know that while a pr is going to be in the bag I am going to have to kick butt on the rest of the race to insure a pb as well.

I am so glad when get back to the street just before the mile marker and I notch it up a little. I clocked a 7:45 mile for the first mile a little slower than I wanted to go. The first mile would actually be my slowest mile of the day as I would end up averaging a 7:26 pace for the day. Being back in the city streets I kick up the second mile to a 7:30 and come in to the 2mile mark at 15:16. Still a little slower than what I want to be knowing I have to deal with the darn dirt track once more.

When I hit the dirt track just shortly after mile 2 I so wanted to walk, I really hate that thing and it just makes my shins scream. But I deny that urge really wanting to run my first 5k without any walk breaks (I can't count last week as it was not a full 5k and I actually did stop for 15-30 seconds at the water station trying to see if I needed to turn around). I am glad the galloway walk thing is behind me as I also didn't walk at all in my half three weeks ago.

Once we get back on the road again with half a mile to go I decide to take off once more. That whole half mile I could hear the guy behind me urging someone else on. It was almost like a drill seargeant screaming at me the whole time. And I am kicking it up a notch to not let this guy pass me or whoever he is urging on either. I think we might have kicked it up several notches that last half mile stretch and it was easily the fastest half mile stretch I ran all day. Sadly he did catch me just before the 3 mile mark but I held off the person he was urging on it seems he left her to finish strong himself. Saw her cross the line and she looked to be about 12, cmon ya gotta let the 12 year old beat ya if your pushing them (not me I am glad I beat her). That guy trying to pass me easily made me run what had to be less that a 7mm pace the entire way to the finish I just didn't want to let him pass me so I kept kicking it up.

So I got my new shiny pr and pb which is good as I have no 5ks in sight tell at least March or May (next 3 races are a 10k in 2 weeks, a half in January and a half in February). I thought I ran a much better race last week which sucks as they didn't measure it right. If I run this race again next year it will be because I forgot once more how much I hate that dirt farmers road and only look at the price again. You gotta take what you can get and a pr is always nice when you have to fight for it.

I did a 5k cool down when I got home to get my miles for the day and yea the second 5k was much harder than last weeks second 5k. Felt like I was dragging wooden legs the entire time.

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