We woke up at o-dark thirty and got ready. I was sorely tempted to stay in bed after running 30 miles in the last 4 days, 22 of which were on trail and included over 3 MILES of elevation change. I really wasn't in the mood to push myself at all. I also worried about my shoes. My Torins have around 300 miles on them now and I haven't gotten around to shopping for some new Altras.
On the ride I napped and consumed large amounts of coffee. We found the Blairsville Community Center pretty easily and I registered while Shane checked in. I was freezing since we set a new record low for May 27 with 37*F. It was about 43* at race time. I looked around and saw very few women who looked fast. I'm not one to really judge by looks since I often get beaten by the ones I least expected but I lined up where I thought I belonged... behind a cross country girl and next to three women in their 30's who looked pretty lean and mean.
The RD yelled 3, 2, 1, GO! and everyone took off like it was a sprint. I couldn't believe the pace the cross country girl and the 30-somethings were setting. I thought maybe my measure was off since I haven't raced a 5k in 5 months but a quick glance at my Garmin showed a 6:32 pace. WOAH! It was a downhill though so I went with it knowing the down meant an up was coming. My Garmin data shows 500 ft of ascent and almost 600 ft of descent so definitely a rolling course.
I continued to try to cling to the girl and women ahead of me but we began to stretch into a line. The first woman was disappearing into the distance and the cross country girl and three 30-somethings were strung out over about 50 yards ahead of me. I figured 6th place wasn't that bad but I felt like there was still a good chance to improve if I could hold off a fade. I just didn't feel confident that I could sustain my former 5k race pace since I haven't done speedwork in months. There were no mile markers so I was depending on my watch beeping to keep me aware of the distance.
Mile 1: 8:00 (according to Garmin)
At this point I was wondering what the heck is wrong with me. Why did I think I could hold this pace?! I'm training for ultras for crying out loud! Speed is a thing of the past for me right?! Then a miracle happened and the woman directly in front of me slowed to a walk. I chugged ahead of her and fought the urge to slow down myself, afraid that it would motivate her to overtake me again.
Anthony, Shane, and I
As we approached mile 2 I saw cross country girl take a walk break. I still wasn't caught up to her but it helped to know she was suffering too, apparently worse than myself. I poured on some speed and passed her quickly hoping to psych her out so she wouldn't come after me.
Mile 2: 8:19
After the second mile marker I focused on the third place woman but she never seemed to get any closer. I passed a cross country boy and then caught our friend, Anthony. We leap frogged for awhile and I begged my legs for more. My ears were buzzing and my sight was a little blurry and I knew I was pushing the limits of my abilities at this time. I glanced at my Garmin and saw 2.4 miles so I just hoped I could hold out until the finish line. The last little uphill completely zapped me and Anthony took the lead again. I tried to catch him but I had nothing left.
Mile 3: 8:09
I turned the last bend and could see the cones and the clock. I was so close to my PR of 24:27 but I just couldn't bolt to the line. I crossed and stopped my watch. Garmin time: 24:30. Official time: 24:29. It was bib tear timing so it really stings because I bet I could have shaved those three seconds for a new PR with chip timing.
Shirt
I guess I looked like death because the volunteer in the finish chute was pretty concerned. I reassured her, in gasping halting breaths, that I was okay, or would be in a minute anyway. I talked the the second and third place women while we waited for awards and I guzzled water like nobody's business. By the time the first page of results was printed I was fine.
The official results show Shane finished in 22:16, 8th overall, and 3rd in his age group. I finished in 24:29, 18th overall, 4th woman, and 1st in my age group (20-29). Our awards turned out to be paper certificates. Not really sure what to think about that. Do I frame it? Hang it on the wall? Stick it in a drawer? I like medals better. At least I know what to do with them.
awards
Overall, I'm pretty happy with my performance today. If I can pull off a time like that on fairly dead legs on a rolling course then I should be able to PR by a large margin with a little attention to speed work and tapering.Maybe next year I can catch the 30-somethings!
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