Today's Run: 5K
Run Time: 26:10 (8:26/mile or 5:23/kilometer)
Total Miles to Date: 731.3 miles (1,176.9km)

Thoughts on the Run:

Yesterday I had a nice stir-fry for lunch. It was the type where you choose your own noodles, then add vegetables, proteins, etc. I had green beans, black beans, bamboo, water chestnuts, an egg, chicken and beef with jalapenos, Kung Pao sauce and chili paste. Spicy but delicious! It was filling and I only had a few smaller snacks for dinner.

This morning I woke up at 6:30. My pre-run fuel was:

1 Whole Grain Waffle
1 pat butter
1 Tbsp Nutella Hazelnut spread
1 shot espresso w/ 1 tsp raw cane sugar
20oz water

I learned my lesson that fructose doesn't sit well in my stomach because I used to have jam on my waffles before the run. The Nutella gives me the fat and calories without the stomach discomfort.

I was supposed to meet a co-worker but a few minutes before he was scheduled to arrive, I received a text message that he had overslept. So I set off to the start line which was only about 1 1/2 miles from my house. It's a good little run over some hills, and I must have been excited because I averaged faster than a 10-minute pace.

It was cold outside. I had a pullover on, and when I passed the bank it read 47 degrees Fahrenheit (8.3 degrees Celsius). It was warming quickly, however, as the sun was rising.

I arrive at the race about 30 minutes before start, which was perfect, and registered. I found a place to ditch my "gear" and had a PowerGel, then walked around to stay warm. It was not long before they called the start of the race. I was surprised at how fast the started it ... it was literally a call to get to the start and then "ready, go!"

I started my watch and headed out. It was weird because I think I was so excited that I felt a little "winded" started out even though I was running and breathing fine.

The first good thing this year was that I psyched myself out thinking we had two enormous hills because there are two traffic lights on the way to the school. What I had forgotten was that we only go to the first traffic light. So I kept a steady 8-minute pace when we started, then slowed to closer to a 9-minute pace near the top of the hill, and realized we were going to just turn around and head back instead of continuing to the next hill. It was great so I picked it up coming down.

It was downhill, then uphill a little more coming into the school. At the school, there were two laps. I probably took the first lap a little more conservatively than I needed to but I was determined for this to be my first race that I did not walk for a single second, and didn't want to wear myself out. I felt I was running just below my "all out" but it turns out I had more in me.

The first mile call-out was too soon ... my GPS showed 0.8 miles and the time was "6:40" which was NOT my first split (turned out to be 8:21). Second mile felt great, going around the loop. By the time I was in the last segment I knew I had a good, strong pace. Ironically I reached a point I knew it was time to break for the finish but my legs didn't seem to want to move any faster. Then I was on the track and turned into almost a full sprint, passed about three people and ran under the clock around 26:10.

The race isn't a chip-timed race so you note your time and write it down at the end, so I may have been a few seconds faster but 26:10 is close enough. As I was writing down the time I realized I hadn't stopped my GPS which was at 26:20 when I turned it off.

I walked back, grabbed a Gatorade and a donut, then changed into a clean shirt and enjoyed cheering on the rest of the runners and walkers.

It was a great race. I shaved a full two minutes from my time last year.

The next race is the October 27 half marathon on the Silver Comet which thankfully is a flat course (unless I squeeze in another 10K before then).

According to one of the best pace calculators I've found on the web, this means I should target a 9:14 minute half to finish at just over 2 hours. That is a great goal because it will destroy my previous PR by 10 minutes.

One of the things that I did well on this race WAS pacing. In my previous races I've never had a decent plan nor idea of what my ability was so I would explode out then end up walking and averaging out a slower time. This time I was fully aware of my abilities and so was able to pace myself. Despite the desire to run faster, I held back a bit and endured through the full run. The burst at the end convinced me I could have run it faster, BUT it's better in my mind to run a well-paced run than to have gone wild and burned out too soon.

Exactly one year and day ago I started this blog with the intent to run an ultramarathon this year. The time frame has changed but the goal has not. This was step one this season. I will finish with a marathon and then graduate to the next level, which is ultramarathon training.

Thanks for sharing this journey with me.

Warmly,

Originally Posted: 2007 Run for Erin 5K

PS - I just finished recording a segment for Lizzie Marie's next video. My wife and daughter picked a recipe from Hari and Vikas' latest book, Modern Indian Cooking. Just seeing the spices that went into marinade and smelling it before letting it sit in the refrigerator has my mouth watering. What better way to finish a good run day than with a nice glass of wine and some fine cuisine! I look forward to trying out their recipe firsthand and assisting them with posting the video here.