I’m unfazed when I look at my schedule of 60 marathons this year. They’re not easy, but I don’t dread them. But I was certainly not looking forward to a pair of races I had this morning — a 15K and a 5K. Those distances are tough!
I ran the races as part of the Gasparilla Distance Classic in Tampa, Fla. Tomorrow, I’ll run the marathon. Here’s a quick race report for the 15K and the 5K.
15K
Shorter races like a 15K are difficult, because in order for me to earn a time that I’m capable of, I have to run very hard for a considerable amount of time. It’s not an endurance test — it’s a speed test. And it’s a pretty tough burn.
I really hate 10Ks. They’re by far my least favorite distance to run. I had never run a 15K before today, so I didn’t really know what to expect. I figured it would be a little bit less painful than a 10K, but since it’s 50 percent longer, I was thinking it would just be a long, slow death.
The 15K came first today at 7 a.m., which was 4 a.m. body time for me. I was a little on the sleepy side, which might have been good. Maybe I’d be too tired to feel the pain! The race calculators said I should probably have run somewhere mid-1:01. I’m not very good at shorter distances, and I’m obviously not 100 percent considering I’ve run 10 marathons this year, so I was really hoping I could run sub-1:02. That would have been a good confidence boost. In reality, I thought I was probably going to run a 1:04.
I wasn’t concerned as much about my heart rate like I normally am, because I don’t know what I’m supposed to run a 15K at. I just tried to keep my average pace below 6:40. We took off and I was moving pretty well on the pancake-flat course, so I gradually pushed my heart rate up and didn’t worry about my pace.
I hit the first mile in 6:19, knowing I wouldn’t hold that pace, but my average heart rate was only 160, so I wasn’t worried. It was time in the bank, although banking time is never a strategy I use. I knew my pace would creep, I just didn’t know how bad.
I went 6:36, 6:48, 6:49 and 6:48 in the next three miles, settling into a pretty good groove. I didn’t feel any terrible fatigue and my legs were turning pretty consistently. I didn’t feel any slow stretches. I knew I wasn’t going to be turning 6:40s, but I felt decent and I didn’t feel any kind of a fade.
Miles 6-7-8 went 7:01, 6:58, 6:54. The course was basically an out-and-back on a road along a bay called Bayshore and coming back, there was a little bit of a headwind. Light, but it was there. Looking at my miles and knowing I had a headwind for 4-5-6, I’m thinking my output and effort was very consistent for six consecutive miles.
At about 8.3 miles, I heard a techno version of “These Boots Are Made For Walking” coming from a setup along the course and for whatever, my body decided it was time to roll. I thought it was early, but my body was going against my mind’s advice. I started thinking that if I bonked a little bit at the end, at least I’d know I left it all out there. I went 6:38 that mile, passing several people and not really getting passed a whole lot.
The last .37 on my Garmin was at a 6:07 pace. A little bit of a kick, but not huge. I crossed the line in 1:03:02, a time I can live with. I’m not a speed guy, I’m not tapered, I’m not fresh, and I missed where I should be by about seven seconds a mile. I took it as a confidence boost.
That’s me on the right after the 15K. Wait, no … I’m in the middle.
5K
I was really not looking forward to the 5K after the 15K. 5Ks are tough, because you have to run so fast, but they’re over pretty quick. My PR is 19:20, more proof that, considering my marathons I’ve run, I’m not a speed guy. That race was in October 2008, and on that same course in 2009, I ran a 20:31 or something like that. I missed five weeks of running last summer with an ankle injury, and I had a miserable time fighting my way back. I’m not all the way there yet, but I’m getting pretty close.
Anyways, I had several thoughts about my goals. I think I’m pretty strong right now, even if I’m fatigued, and I wasn’t ruling out a PR. I had a donation offer if I beat 19:30, so I wanted to do that. But what I really wanted to do, because I didn’t want to have unreasonable expectations, was to go sub-20. That would give me a pretty good indication that I’m doing pretty well and getting back into shape. No way would I get 100 percent out of myself in this race, because I was 90 minutes removed from a 5K, six days removed from a marathon, etc. But I really expected at least a sub-20.
It was chilly (mid-40s) and started to rain a few minutes before the race. It wasn’t a torrential downpour, but it was definitely heavier than sprinkles. Coming through the start, I got pretty frustrated for the first 3/4 of a mile or so. WAY too many people started in the wrong place, and I had to keep dodging. I don’t demand that people don’t wear iPods during races, but I get mad when they start up front when they know they shouldn’t, then can’t hear when I’m coming up on them. The road was also a little slick. Not icy slick, but I could definitely feel that it was a touch slippery.
I needed about a 6:15 pace for the race, and I knew if I wasn’t anywhere close to that for the first mile, it was going to be a frustrating race. I went 6:26, and knowing I was 11 seconds in the hole just like that, I figured all I had to chase was sub-20. I didn’t really feel the burn like I normally do in a 5K, but I didn’t have anything to really go with. Mile 2 is usually my worst mile in a 5K, but it wasn’t difficult today, even though I only ran a 6:39. I really didn’t have anything to go with and I could tell that sub-20 was slipping away pretty quickly. Mile 3 was only 6:42.
It was becoming pretty obvious to me that I was going to struggle to even catch my 20:31. I kicked at a 6:00 pace for the final .13, but it was too little, too late. 20:33. I’m pretty hard on myself for my individual performances, but I was very disappointed with this one. I know it doesn’t mean much in regards to my marathoning, but I just wasn’t very happy.
What Does It All Mean?
Hmmm, well, I got two medals to give to my kids. And two tech shirts to give to anybody who wants them. I wasn’t happy with my speed today, but I was pretty happy that I didn’t fade much. All in all, I’d say I can walk away from these two races with a little bit of a confidence boost as I head into tomorrow’s Gasparilla Marathon.
Melissa G says
I’m sorry you’re disappointed with your performance today, but everyone will be disappointed sometimes and it’s better to get the yucky feelings out of your system before your marathon tomorrow.
Jeff Cate says
I can’t imagine racing a 5K after racing a 15K and only 6 days after a marathon… my legs would be completely shot. Don’t be too disappointed. All the best with tomorrow’s marathon!
Erin Fortin says
Um, excuse me, a 20:33 is hella fast. Especially after a 15k, are you kidding me? I’m glad I could give you some extra motivation, but I don’t want to hear any mumbles from you, Mr. “I just wasn’t very happy”. In fact, I’m still going to donate 20.33 for every second of that 5k you did today. Congrats, dude. Congrats. Now go have fun and run hard tomorrow!
Jen Morgan says
I seriously can’t believe how fast you ran them considering you looked like you were on auto-pilot and still asleep! You are nuts sir, absolutely nuts! Great job despite what you think were lackluster races!