Mini-Race-Report: My second 5k!

Last fall I did my first 5k ever (I ran several halfs before doing a 5k...backwards, I know) and I immediately decided that I didn't like them.  I didn't like running for 3 miles at top speed; it's uncomfortable, and I'm still not fast even when I'm running as fast as I can, which is disheartening and makes me feel like my training is ineffective.  Last year I also messed up with the pacing and went out at a 7:30 pace in the first mile and then completely blew up and had to walk a little by mile 3.  I felt awful, and nothing about the experience was particularly fun.  My time was 28:53.

I guess I shouldn't complain about how much I hate running fast since I guess the point of racing is to go as fast as you can, but I much prefer the nice steady plod of a longer-distance race.  You can run it steady, or you can have some lower paced parts and still have time to correct with faster miles.  That and finishing a longer race is satisfying in and of itself, even if I'm not superman with the speed.  And I like the strategy involved in a longer distance.  5ks around here seem to always have a healthy dose of high school xc runners and people who make 5ks their race of choice, which leaves me in the dust completely.

BUT this morning I did a 5k (the same one I did last year, with a slightly different course) and it went a lot better.  I'm sort of wondering if I misjudged the whole 5k race distance and maybe they aren't as awful as I thought.  I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually had a lot of fun today.

D. talked to me last night when I was already getting grumpy about having to run fast this morning (I guess I just knew I wasn't going to be very fast, which is and always will be disappointing until I do something about it), and was saying that I should just run it to run it and not worry about speed so much since I'm training for a marathon.  And that if anyone harassed me about my time I could just be like "I'm training for a marathon, so there."  It's funny how much better that made me feel, not that anyone cares about my time anyhow other than me.  But I arrived there with a positive attitude, and I didn't go out all crazy fast when the race started.

The course had some gradual uphill parts (and I do mean gradual--the fact that I noticed them as uphills is probably evidence that the hills on the marathon course will destroy me).  I think I kept my pace in the 10-minute or under range the entire time, averaging around 9:03/mile and peaking at 7:35/mile.  I tried to focus on form and on keeping my feet under my hips/not heelstriking/keeping my stride shorter, all that stuff, because I'm really paranoid about introducing too much speed running at this point in my marathon program, since my mileage has been up-up-up.

Getting myself to keep going at a (for me) high pace wasn't easy, but I did it.  Honestly my muscles were more tired than anything... I wasn't feeling especially winded, just my legs were killing me.  And for a change it was tired muscles instead of "omg all of my joints and the bottoms of my feet hurt" like it was on that 18 miler last week.

I have a new max HR:  212.  Seriously, I thought my max was 206, then I discovered it was 208, and then I had it up to 210 at one point...but now apparently it's actually 212.  I guess I should recalculate my heart rate zones?  Sam doubts the accuracy of my garmin's heart rate function because I have such a high max, but it seems to be accurate--I don't know why it wouldn't be accurate.  The charts say for my age my max should be 193, but I guess not everyone fits with the charts.

So here's what was great:

• The shirts for this race were SUPER-SWEET this year--there were women's-fit shirts! So rare.  So I will actually be able to use and train in this shirt.  It's fabulous.  Also I got a free water bottle, which is perfect for taking water in the car to my group runs.  So yay.
• I actually really care about this charity, so it was pretty awesome to be like... wow, for my $30, I not only got this sweet shirt and a bottle AND a chip-timed race AND water AND snacks, but also I know what's happening to my money and it's something I want to happen with my money.  It's kind of amazing that I can not only get a race/race experience/shirt, but also give money to charity.  Half the time I don't know what happens to my race fee, which is disappointing.  I might actively start seeking out races that make it clearer that your money is going somewhere good.  In fact I wish I'd planned a bit better because I'd consider doing fundraising for my marathon...but I have a lot going on in the next 5 weeks that might make it difficult to get a late start on that now.
• It was fun to hang out before and after the race with Sam and his friend, and I saw some others I know there, too.  And we got food afterward.
• I see the merits of running a 5k, because you finish the race and you don't feel like a corpse. I mean, I was winded and felt nauseous for a few minutes, but I got home and had a shower and it's not like my whole day was done in as it is with longer races.  My ankles/knees/hips all feel fine.  My muscles feel like I used them, but not like I shredded them.  I was expecting to do my usual post-race recovery routine but I don't really need to.  I ran a race, and can get on with my day.  Kind of amazing.  Also I finished running and didn't feel the need to eat everything I could get my hands on--rare these days.
• People there seemed to be having fun and socializing a lot more than at a big race.  Probably because 5ks don't have the tense pre-race port-a-potty lineup and pre-race-routines and post-race-routines and pain and feeling like death at the finish.  Running a race strictly for fun and to socialize is sort of a new concept.  Somehow even though I'm not a fast runner I've never really been like "Oh, I'm going to do this race just for fun!"  And well, it was fun.

Did you hear me?  IT WAS FUN.  I am actually saying a 5k was fun.  What the what?

So I might start introducing a shorter race to my training now and then.  There's an Oktoberfest 4 miler in late September and a nighttime 5 miler and some other ones.  I didn't get to fit in a half in August like I wanted (ironically, there was one today that would have fit in perfectly with my training, but I chose to do this 5k), so maybe I'll just do a couple shorter races in the meantime.  Maybe an added benefit will be that this will help me get faster, since I can't seem to make myself do effective speed training on my own.

I took almost a minute--not quite--off my PR, finishing in 28:03.  If I knew I was that close to the 27 minute range I would've run a little harder for those 3 seconds!  In spite of my slow time, though, I still came in 5th in my age group which is the FIRST TIME EVER that I've been close to the top of the pile.  If I would've finished 30 sec faster I would've gotten a sweet prize.  So this has introduced a whole new concept to me:  Wow, I could actually RUN TO WIN FREE THINGS (and bragging rights).  There weren't really many fast people in my age group at this race, obviously. Heh.  But still.  Maybe someday.