Braves 5K
Goals
10% - PR
50% - Repeat PR of 26:46
90% - Under 30
Result
Wahoooooooo! (Official: 26:25 / 8:30 average pace)
About this run
I didn't know how to feel in the morning. The "Con" weighing heaviest on my mind was last Thursday's 5K at Pubix/Westside with Kyle. I kept that short run "easy" at ~10:00, with very little 'racing' / hard effort. It didn't FEEL easy or by choice, though, because of the hills and 85+ degree weather! When Kyle pushed at the end for a fast finish, I didn't even bat an eyelash; just kept that steady pace right to the end. Usually, a little sparing will get me going. Not this time.
The other fact that kept popping into my brain : my last 5K resulted in a SERIOUS PR, and that required a pacer (what my friends have since labelled an: illegal drug. lol). Could I come even CLOSE to that time by myself???
One thing that calmed me was hearing someone else put the feeling to words. I asked how she was doing this morning. She said: "I'm nervous." Plain and simple. Yes, we know we're not winning, yes we know its silly, but point blank, we get nervous anyway. It happens, and I can acknowledge it and move on without needing to dwell on it. So I too accept it. It means I care.
The wait is over! Time to boogie! More and more often, without planning for it, I am surrounded by friends and familiar faces at the start corrals. So awesome.
This race went by QUICK! In part, I can thank the person right behind me in the picture up above. She ran real steady (but fast steady) out of the corral, and before I knew it, I was on her left hip. This did wonders for me. For a moment, I wondered what the etiquette on this is .. are you allowed to just pick someone to stay with / draft off without arrangement, lol?? or are you just annoying them and killing their own race vibes? But as soon as she noticed I was sticking with her, she gave me a few tips of encouragement, and I could feel the love. :) I kept her comment of: "you're holding this pace great" with me for a good long time after we parted ways closer to mile 2. The first time I thought to seriously look at my watch, I was already at .68. For a 5K, that's like .. almost there, baby!
I knew the second half of this race was tougher, and for me the middle mile(s) of any race are all about steady hard effort. Luckily, even after I lost the side-by-side companion, I had the "out in front of me" companion/target for maybe another mile or so. That was focus, for sure.
Unfortunately, something I did on the hydration/fuel front was MAJORLY off. I don't carry hydration for races this short, and had been instead sipping gator-aide all morning. It should have been fine. But right around this point, my tongue turned into a caterpillar. Fortunately, one: I was up in B corral to start, where people congestion at stops is lower, and runners are pretty efficient at the grab and go, if they even grab anything. And, two: I had read an article that just a small swig of water, while it can't "correct" de-hydration, can at least stave off the body's effects, by telling the brain something like: its okay, we're okay, we're going to get water, see? No problems swishing around enough water in my mouth to knock the problem out for the whole rest of the race. Elephant's feather or not, it worked.
Someone had told me they'd probably be pacing this positive-ish. For me, the pacing strategy on a 5K is almost always: fast, steady, fast:
I'm getting better at this pacing thing! ;)
The middle miles seemed to have a bit less sun protection, and more quick hills thrown in the mix. It was MUCH better than running at, say, 11 am. But 7:45 was for sure hinting at the 90+ degree weather to come. That said, compared to everything else I'd been putting myself through these last weeks, the course itself seemed like cake, even in the 2nd half.
The one scare came when I got a stitch in my chest at almost mile 3. It lasted for maybe 10-20 seconds. It wasn't painful enough that I couldn't run through it; just enough pain to hint at the possibility of something scary. I focused on my breathing. Devil Judy said: you'll be that person that didn't listen, and ended up running herself into a heart attack. Angel Judy said: focus on your breathing. Calm down, and see if its a momentary thing. Don't be the melodramatic girl who stops to walk, and then nothing comes of it, and you have to be all about the excuses like: I had to stop ... I thought I was having a heart attack .. for real guys. (Lol, yes, this is what goes on in my brain while I run).
Angel Judy was right. It was a momentary stitch, went away after a moment of thinking calm thoughts, and focusing on the breathing. Good Judy.
(I'll be watching this carefully, though; I'm not an idiot)
Approaching the 3 mile mark, and Turner Field, I didn't think I'd have access to that "other gear." Its never guaranteed, and you always want to write it off with an: I paced well and left it all on the course before this, so no need. WRONG! Finish kick is like dessert stomach. Its real. haha. You just have to talk yourself into getting a bit more uncomfortable. The light went off in my brain not right at seeing Turner Field, because Brain remembered it was still a good 800-1000 m to the finish from here, and it didn't want to be tricked. For Brain, kick is visual. See finish, run hard. But Brain lost to Heart when I heard a "Go Judy" shout from Coach Amy! Dude, I dare you not to run with heart when an Olympian cheers you on! #runcelebritycrush much. ;) Perfect product placement. I'm buying. :) :) :)
Just after that straight away, there is one more to-do: get EVEN MORE uncomfortable. Thoughts rattling in my brain: I think I have a PR, but never trust on-the-race math, and especially math that requires being accurate to the second. So I'm thinking both: you got it, so don't kill yourself, and you'll be SAD if you miss it by a few seconds, and could have given more. Also, 8:30 or better average pace would be RIDICULOUS, right?? .. and what about under 26:30. That COULD happen. These thoughts are all waging war against the constant that is: or I could JUST STOP ..DUH!
Then .. another perfect product placement in the form of Coach Enrique at the gate to the warning track, reminding me that I had done all of the speedwork for this. 2nd wake up call = can't stop, won't stop mode! In fact, I AM going to RACE it in, and try to check off one or two people on the warning track! Go, Judy, go. Through the finish with PR and under 26:30 .. Like. A. Boss. *^_^*
I had no idea where the other two triplets were the whole race. I didn't think I'd seen them go by, but that first mile, I was 110% focused on Carol, so who knew. Later Kyle said he could see me, and was trying to catch me. He set a new PR, and broke my Singleton time! We really do run like twins. Just depends on the day. We have our specialty distances, though, it seems. In hindsight, just glad I didn't 'take it easy' for a second anywhere along the hot spots mentioned above! K-man was coming!! lol. *^_^*
And then, after the race, it's the after party!!
DoOOOOooon't Stooooopppppp Beliiiiiiiieviiiiing!
Of course, the person I was needing to find was my illegal drug pictured above, Coach Jerry. After months of gunning for it, he earned himself a seat at the under 20 minute club! ***whoa*** We HAD TO celebrate that!! Plus, I had to share with him my incredible feat of running a 5K PR without his illegal help. (and then *whisper* beating Kyle, haha). His reaction was pretty much priceless, and I think the moments of sharing and celebrating with him, Angelina, Brandi, M & K, and the rest of the crew are by far my favorites. Again, I say: if you think running is a solo sport, you're probably doing it wrong. Just count the names of all the people I mention throughout, and every time I do something I'm proud of!!
So .. we hate the hours leading up to the gun, we both adore and hate the running, and then live for basking in the glory the rest of the day! haha. Plus, we thank running when we hop on the scale later. ;) All in all, it seems like a fair trade.
What's Next?
Good question. 26:30 was the 2016 year end goal for 5K! But we still have a really nice, fast course in the form of Atlanta's Finest to come in August. It seems obvious that gunning for under 26 by then could be a 10% reach goal. Especially if I continue to drop a lb here and a lb there prior to. BUT .. A PR with a 25 in front of it sounds like COMPLETE INSANITY and scares the BAJEEZUS outta me!!! So I don't even want to type it today as a goal. Maybe next week. ;)
Tomorrow, we run long. New mileage in the form of a first 15! After that, the focus shifts to 10K, and my not-so-secret secret race. Goals for the Possum Run are just: 10% - run 9:08 pace, and 50% / 90% - don't.
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