Race Goals
On March 6th I have been planning to do a 5K, my first since ABIA last May. When I did that one I was really excited to finally get below 25:00 (by two seconds), something that remains my official 5K PR today - that’s around an 8:00 pace.
I need to figure out how fast to go. Last Thanksgiving I did a hilly 5 mile Turkey Trot at a 7:41 pace four days after a hilly half marathon. Tossing out the slowest two miles would give me a 7:31 pace. I think I’m in better shape now than I was then, so I should be able to go faster than that, right?
So… how fast should I go? Last year I ran 27:11 for an 8:43 pace, but that’s not really relevant any more. BagelFest is somewhat hilly, and I know that the first mile is mostly uphill and the last is mostly down (rolling throughout). I also know that I almost always do better when I run for negative splits. I’m thinking about starting off at 7:30, dropping to 7:15 for the second, and trying to get the third down to around 7:00 - under that would be very fun. Is this too aggressive, do you think?
As a side note, my buddy Alex ran a 22:08 last year. He’ll be sub-20:00 if he runs it this time around, so I don’t stand a chance of catching him, but it would be fun if I could beat his previous course record. That’s a 7:06 pace though, and I’m not sure I can dig down quite that far. Still, its something to think about.
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Feb 25th 2005
8:10 PM
Last year 8:43, and this year 7:00? Is it just me or is everyone else just as astounded at how friggin’ fast you have become?
Run your butt off man! :)
Feb 25th 2005
8:12 PM
I don’t think it is too aggressive Richard. I say go for it. My race strategy changes quite a bit for the so-called shorter distances. The most aggressive I have been is in a 5.4 mile race I do each spring. I just remembered that race to be Corporate Challenge. Anyway, in that one, I go out FAST and just hang on for dear life! I find the challenge is not TOO great to hold on for that long. For a 5k, I would drop the hammer and just go go go.
I think the pace strategy you suggested is perfect but you might want to go out even more aggressively. It’s “only” 20 or so minutes right?
;)
Feb 25th 2005
9:59 PM
I’ve never run an official 5k race so I’m clueless. But I’ll add my 2 cents anyway. It seems like it would be okay to be pretty aggressive as long as your leg is feeling up to it. You don’t have to worry about glycogen, dehydration, etc. Even the lactate threshold is less of an issue because if you start out too fast with the hill at the beginning then you’ll be running out of steam at the end on the downhill section.
I’m with Jon from Michigan. I’m impressed at how fast you are and how quickly you shaved a minute and half off your pace.
Feb 26th 2005
10:02 AM
i’d say if you had some time to do a couple mile repeat workouts it would do two things for you. first, give you the confidence that you indeed can run that fast, and second, help condition your muscles for faster, non-distance type running.
my only suggestion, since the race is so close, is to seriously consider not pushing too hard. you just came off of a hard marathon, and racing hard again this soon may cause some muscle fatigue that could lead to injury. just race smart, and good luck!
Feb 26th 2005
11:45 PM
Well I won’t be racing this time, but I will be out there cheering y’all on. I say go out fast and hang on. In the grand scheme of things, it’s only around 20 minutes out of your life, so enjoy it and then go collect a door prize.
Feb 27th 2005
4:41 PM
I say go for it also. Its not too agressive at all considering your 5 mile time.
Feb 28th 2005
1:17 PM
Not sure how to advise you, but just make sure you aren’t getting fast enough to beat me at the Bluebonnet 5K!
Feb 28th 2005
7:30 PM
I’ve been thinking about your race goals and I think Jeff brought up some good points. Overuse injuries are no fun. Everything depends on how your leg feels. Have a great race!
Mar 1st 2005
10:02 PM
I’m thinking that you are doing wonderfully. Whatever you end up deciding! Good job. Kirsten