Well, it's official, I was able to set a new standard for my Cinco de Mayo 10K performances! Previously, my best time was run back in 2005 where I ran a 49:10. Each year that I've run since, my times have progressively get slower. Each year I go through a tough spot on the course where you hit the out and back segment. The out is a faily steep downhill, and at the 5K turnaround it's the massive climb back up that eventually takes you to an all downhill sprint finish.
Each and every year, I've had to walk a segment of the out and back. Last year, I did not, and whats funny, I actually thought I had a great race......right up to the point where I realized it was one of my worst performances on the course at 52:30. So this year, I had a plan, and i knew what my goal was. I wanted to run an average 7:30/mile and crush my 49:10.
The first mile started out very strong. I think I ran it in a 7:14, a little faster then goal pace, but I knew we had the tough up segments ahead, so I wanted to take advantage of the relatively flat rollers while I could. Mile 2 was where the hill really started getting steep, I just kept grinding it out and ran that in a 7:47, kind of what I expected, and on the 7:30 average for the first two miles. About a quarter into mile three is where the out and back segment of the turn is, and I pulled back into a nice 7:14 pace to roll with the downhill....at the turnaround it started getting hot, and I took some water to moisten my drying mouth and poured the rest over me to cool me down a bit....we hit the turn, but I didn't take a look at my watch so I'm not sure what my 5K time was, but I'm estimating it was in the 23ish time frame... about where i expected it to be at. Mile 4, was definitely my worst. Straining up that hill I had to make a crucial decision....blow out my legs or save some for the downhill finish. My legs just didn't have the gas to get up that steep hill.....so I managed to walk up art of it to the crest. once I crested I started running again, but my split really suffered with an 8:49. That's a full minute that I left on the course, but I knew if I wanted to succeed in getting a PR that turned out to be a crucial decision.
From there I started taking a mental note on the people that passed me. Me made the turn off the out and back, made it past the 4 mile mark, and the downhill started to kick in. At this point there was 2.2 miles to go, and I really wanted to shove it into over drive, and my legs absolutely RESPONDED! I really got back into race mode and started passing all the people who went by me during my recovery walk on the brutal uphill. One by one I picked them off and passed them like they were standing still. I would briefly look at my watch to see what kind of pace i was going, and at certain steep segments, I was down to a 6:20 pace. Mile 5 with the rollers clocked back in at a very respectable 7:14. With 1.2 miles to go, we came up on the final water station where a little hottie gave me a crucial cup of water to again wet my drying mouth and the cooling power to hammer it home. I just kept telling myself, it's just another 1 mile repeat....As I kept passing people, I got past my last competitor at the water station....From there there was a pretty significant gap between the next runner and myself, but I wasn't sure I could close it. Mile six came in around the 7:15ish range and I was still rolling strong with just under a quarter to go.....And so I decided to HAMMER IT HOME knowing that I had under 1:40 to go. And hammer it I did. Not sure what the file .2 split was, but the pace on Dr. Garmin said 5:59/mile, so it had to be significantly less then the 1:40 quarters I normally run in group workouts......As I came across the line, I stopped my watch with a NEW Cinco de Mayo Course PR of 47:29. Just shy of two minutes off my best time in 2005, but a full five minutes off my time from last year!!!!
In all, I'm incredibly happy with that result, even with the trouble spot where I had to make the tough choice to walk a portion. In the end, that minute that I left on the hill wouldn't have advanced my place any in the standings since I finished about a 1;30 from the guy in front of me.....and it may have not allowed me to CRUSH the downhill segment home. Tactically, it was totally the right thing to do!
That's not the last race of the season before we hit the Summer push to Labor Day (another course where I need to exorcise some daemons)....In less then two weeks I'm going to make my final attempt at a 5K PR by going under 21 for the first time ever. With all these hills I've been running as of late, I'm thinking that should be very doable!!! Look out Flat and fast 5K course..... HERE I COME!!!!
Until then, train hard and LIVESTRONG!
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