Such is the end of June and beginning of July, with all the festivities surrounding Independence Day. While my mileage and general training haven't been the most intense since the marathon in April, I wanted to get into decent shape for two 5Ks in the span of a week -- partly because I wanted to see what I could do in a 5K, and partly because they both offered potential monetary winnings. Who am I to turn down the chance to win some prize money?
Race #1
June 29, 2013
Hyde Park Blast Elite 5k
15:39...9th place
I'll be honest, I thought I was in better shape than this. And even more disappointing, the top 6 earned money, so I was 3 spots out. I mean, I knew I wasn't in PR shape, but this time is abysmally slow. I was never wiped out after the race (in fact, I recovered immediately and felt like I could've done it again), but at the same time I had no gears beyond 5-minute pace. I wasn't all that tired, but I don't feel like I could've run any faster. Two years ago I ran about 14:45 for road 5Ks, last year I ran about 15:00 for the same distance, and now this year...should I be worried that these times are getting slower? Or is this just natural as my focus shifts more towards longer distances, like the marathon?
Race #2
July 4, 2013
Great Buffalo Chase 5k
15:49...15th place
Well, turns out that the previous race was no fluke. This is a smaller race -- it's put on by Buffalo Trace distillery, and they don't really advertise it -- but they pay $3000, $2500, and then $2000 for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. Usually there are a few very good runners, but I thought I might be able to sneak into 3rd place if few people showed up (and the weather was forecast to be pretty gross and rainy). Boy was I wrong...secret's out about this race. Just looking at the results shows some ridiculously fast times. The people racing included local Cincinnati guys (who kick my ass), one person who finished 4th in the steeplechase at the USATF National Championships, and a boatload of Africans (many of whom ran the Blast a few days earlier). Needless to say, I was out of contention 30 seconds into the race, and the rest was pretty similar to the Hyde Park Blast...my legs just did not respond to anything faster than 5-minute miles. Again, I wasn't pleased with this performance, but the worst part is that I packed it in mentally; that is to say, as the race went on and I wasn't running fast (and knew I wasn't going to post a good time), I shut down and essentially quit on myself. That was a sentiment born out of frustration more than anything else.
Lessons
The two big reactions from these races are as follows: frustration and disappointment. In the immediate aftermath, I was frustrated that I was not able to race up to the standards I expect of myself. I was also frustrated to see people running faster around me, while my times have relatively stagnated and/or slowed. But more than anything, these races left me with disappointment; not necessarily in my performance or my effort, but disappointment in my training leading up to these races. See, in the 10-ish weeks since the marathon, I have run mediocre mileage (i.e., 50-60 miles per week). A month of that was planned post-26.2 recovery, but for the rest of the time I have no other excuse than laziness and complacency. I've been running mediocre mileage with a scant three weeks of mediocre workouts and - surprise, surprise - I ran two mediocre races. And here's the thing: I know what it takes for me to race where I feel I should be. I know my body responds well to high mileage (85+ mpw). I know that my times follow my aerobic conditioning. I know this because, from summer 2008 through 2011, I trained at consistently high mileage -- and, not coincidentally, I ran my fastest in every race distance (except the marathon, but that's an extenuating circumstance). For various reasons -- work, complacency, lack of structure, etc. -- I've let my mileage slip in the past year and a half. If nothing else, these races proved to me that it's time to return to the basics of quality, principled training.
Race #1
June 29, 2013
Hyde Park Blast Elite 5k
15:39...9th place
I'll be honest, I thought I was in better shape than this. And even more disappointing, the top 6 earned money, so I was 3 spots out. I mean, I knew I wasn't in PR shape, but this time is abysmally slow. I was never wiped out after the race (in fact, I recovered immediately and felt like I could've done it again), but at the same time I had no gears beyond 5-minute pace. I wasn't all that tired, but I don't feel like I could've run any faster. Two years ago I ran about 14:45 for road 5Ks, last year I ran about 15:00 for the same distance, and now this year...should I be worried that these times are getting slower? Or is this just natural as my focus shifts more towards longer distances, like the marathon?
Race #2
July 4, 2013
Great Buffalo Chase 5k
15:49...15th place
Well, turns out that the previous race was no fluke. This is a smaller race -- it's put on by Buffalo Trace distillery, and they don't really advertise it -- but they pay $3000, $2500, and then $2000 for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. Usually there are a few very good runners, but I thought I might be able to sneak into 3rd place if few people showed up (and the weather was forecast to be pretty gross and rainy). Boy was I wrong...secret's out about this race. Just looking at the results shows some ridiculously fast times. The people racing included local Cincinnati guys (who kick my ass), one person who finished 4th in the steeplechase at the USATF National Championships, and a boatload of Africans (many of whom ran the Blast a few days earlier). Needless to say, I was out of contention 30 seconds into the race, and the rest was pretty similar to the Hyde Park Blast...my legs just did not respond to anything faster than 5-minute miles. Again, I wasn't pleased with this performance, but the worst part is that I packed it in mentally; that is to say, as the race went on and I wasn't running fast (and knew I wasn't going to post a good time), I shut down and essentially quit on myself. That was a sentiment born out of frustration more than anything else.
Lessons
The two big reactions from these races are as follows: frustration and disappointment. In the immediate aftermath, I was frustrated that I was not able to race up to the standards I expect of myself. I was also frustrated to see people running faster around me, while my times have relatively stagnated and/or slowed. But more than anything, these races left me with disappointment; not necessarily in my performance or my effort, but disappointment in my training leading up to these races. See, in the 10-ish weeks since the marathon, I have run mediocre mileage (i.e., 50-60 miles per week). A month of that was planned post-26.2 recovery, but for the rest of the time I have no other excuse than laziness and complacency. I've been running mediocre mileage with a scant three weeks of mediocre workouts and - surprise, surprise - I ran two mediocre races. And here's the thing: I know what it takes for me to race where I feel I should be. I know my body responds well to high mileage (85+ mpw). I know that my times follow my aerobic conditioning. I know this because, from summer 2008 through 2011, I trained at consistently high mileage -- and, not coincidentally, I ran my fastest in every race distance (except the marathon, but that's an extenuating circumstance). For various reasons -- work, complacency, lack of structure, etc. -- I've let my mileage slip in the past year and a half. If nothing else, these races proved to me that it's time to return to the basics of quality, principled training.
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