"B" 18:29
"C" 18:49
I heard about this race through my running club. It is a charity race for a great cause and very inexpensive to enter.
I had only run under 19:00 for a 5k once in my life and it had been nearly 10 years since I'd done that. All my workouts and races pointed to a low 18s 5k going into this race and I decided to just go for it. I needed a 5:54 average for the course record and there was a $100 gift certificate incentive. I car-pooled with my running buddy/co-worker, Evan. He was going for the male course record. Thinking back on this race, I was definitely going into this over-confident in my ability to run 5:50s for a 5k. I'd managed to speed up at such a fast rate over the past few months that it was going to my head. With only a little over a year of training behind me and a 19:11 season's best, there was no reason for me to think that this time would be easy. I warmed up an easy two miles or so with Evan and noticed that it was very warm and windy.
I saw that Beth Woodward was running and got a little fan-crazy. I met her while running the Medina half course in May. I knew that she had been running in the low to mid 19s this year and would probably be a bit behind me. Her marathon best from a few years ago is 2:47 and that is a long-term goal of mine in the marathon...to go under 2:50. She has been winning and placing high in area races for years and years and is the tiniest little runner you have ever seen.
The start was actually not very fast. I was in front of all the women by a lot, even at the half mile. I was wearing my Second Sole uniform for the first time and also wearing my Nike Zoom Streaks. The Streaks were a half size too big and a little uncomfortable to race in. I found myself wishing for my Virratas about halfway through. Mile 1 was 5:53 and felt pretty good. I thought to myself, "I can hold this pace" and kept trucking along. Too bad I didn't hold that pace at all since mile 2 had me at 12:05! I was pissed when I saw that time and knew there was no way I would get an 18:18. I was going to have to work to get a pr at all. The first two miles were flat but the final mile had a pretty good hill. I managed to run a 6:00 third mile and kick it in to an 18:44. This was much slower than I thought I should be and I had to readjust my expectations for the Youngstown Peace Race 10k that I was racing the next morning. Evan had won for the men, but was also a ways off the course record. We did end up winning $75 gift certificates to Vertical Runner of Wooster, which was awesome! Beth was second in 19:23 and I talked to her and Brian Polen (Akron Marathon race director) after we finished. There was a TON of food for the finishers, including cookies and the awards were pretty cool. Pumpkins, flowers and a race medal hanger for the overall winners, as well as the gift certificate. Definitely one of the best local races I have run. I got home in time to get to bed at a decent hour and get some rest for the 10k the next morning.
At the finish. Pic credit: John J. McCarroll
Results:
http://www.ohiochallengeseries.com/client_images/events/index.cfm?form_result_id=6976
No comments:
Post a Comment