Melissa's 10k - good race on a tough course

[turd ferguson]

St. Patrick's Day race. Calgary Roadrunners club race, one of the biggies, I just didn't have my mental on.

My goal for the year is 20:00 for a 5k, this was 5.2k with a clock at 5k so my goal was either 20:00 at 5 or 20:48 at 5.2.

Final results: 22:17 for 5k, 23:07 for 5.2k. 12/301 overall, 3/27 in age group. PB by a few seconds for 5k.

I felt like a newbie out there. This was my first race since I decided I was fast, it was nervewracking and I didn't handle it. You wouldn't know this was my 81st lifetime race.

I was too worried about a minor health thing (not serious, just inconvenient), too freaked out by starting with the fast people who DESERVE to be up front (I'M STILL NOT ONE OF THEM, YOU KNOW), too worried about getting to the race on time, too tense about everything.

I was tense from the waist up, clenched in my upper body the whole way. My forearms were up at my shoulders and my shoulders were up at my ears. I couldn't relax and just run. I couldn't breathe more than shallow breaths, which is where things went wrong. I couldn't hold the pace I wanted.

The only comfort I'm taking is that I did everything wrong, f'ed up royally and still pb'ed. So I must be getting faster.
I messed this one up. Which makes me angry, because I failed, but is ok because I learned something.

That's okay though, this is supposed to be hard.

Now I just have to remember how I felt and use that as motivation. Its only really a failure if I don't learn anything.

[Darth Tater]

Here's my mental image from your description:



Now, for motivation:



Go out there and chill man. Take the lesson learned. Breathe.

And take the PB!

[HCcD]

Now, what was that old sayin, Turd ... If at first you don't succeed, try, try again .... or something like that ??

Congratulations, on a PB and a solid effort to your season ... consider this a pre-test or mid-term evaluation ... As you said, lessons learned today adjust what you need to and it will make you stronger and faster in the future ...

[drghfx]

Still a great time! You've got the fitness, now you just need to get the mental on and you'll blast by 20:00!

[RA.]

It's not supposed to happen on the first time, right? Now you're more prepared for #2.

[Jo-Jo]

What's that Michael Johnson quote...."I have failed a thousand times and that is why I succeed"

Pick youself up, dust yourself off...and keep racing! Oh yeah...Breathe

Nice overall placement...and AG placement Mike.

[La]

I think it's a good thing that you failed. This way you're reminded that running a 20-min 5K is freakin' hard (not that I don't think you already knew that). And now you know what can go wrong, and how you are affected by the pressure of race day, so next time you can deal with it. In the end, it will make you a better/stronger racer!

Congrats on the PB and AG placement!

[QuickChick]

The best thing about 5K is that you can try again really soon. It definitely sounds like you need to relax a lot more, maybe with a long warmup or something. Other than that, though, what do you feel you need to do differently? This race can help you a lot for your next attempt. Take what you did "wrong" and really work specifically on those things for a bit of time, and try again.

What pace have you been training at for your intervals? Maybe you should try for 4:15/km for your next one and see how that feels. That's 21:00. Then see where to go from there. If your pb was 22:xx before, that's a big difference in pace to hit 20.

[Marg]

Sounds like the pace is getting close to dialed in but your mental needs a bit of work. Good on you for trying, it'll come and will bring great satisfaction when achieved.
Still a PB, still an AG placement, so keep it in perspective.

[Doonst]

The tension just means its important to you, that you're invested in this pursuit. Sort of an interesting way to get back some of the excitement of racing again. You know it will pass with more races, and your time will continue to come down. If I have any advice, its to not listen to Lisa's pacing math.

[QuickChick]

The tension just means its important to you, that you're invested in this pursuit. Sort of an interesting way to get back some of the excitement of racing again. You know it will pass with more races, and your time will continue to come down. If I have any advice, its to not listen to Lisa's pacing math.

Hee hee, oh yeah whoops. That was before coffee. 4:12 then.

[HCcD]

The tension just means its important to you, that you're invested in this pursuit. Sort of an interesting way to get back some of the excitement of racing again. You know it will pass with more races, and your time will continue to come down. If I have any advice, its to not listen to Lisa's pacing math.

Hee hee, oh yeah whoops. That was before coffee. 4:12 then.

Do you by chance, happen to teach math to your younglings, QC ???

[CinC]

you didn't tell me that you placed in you AG - did you get a cookie?

[bnn]

did you warm up?

[ultraslacker]

did you warm up?

good question--warm-up might help with relaxation too.

In any case, a pb is a pb... congrats on that! Consider this a practice run... then go out and do better next time! :)

[jgore]

A PB is awesome. As for your goal, you've set a good one. A goal too easily achieved wasn't set high enough in the first place.

As others have asked, are you sure you were properly warmed up?

[Fireinbelly]

A PB is always a great accomplishment. Don't donwplay it as it signifies improvement. All this means that you will truly appreciate reaching the goal of the sub20 5K. It is hard, but if it wasn't than why do it. Continue to train effectively and focus on being relxed out there. We are more equal than you think when it comes to ability.

[b_squared]

Well done, sir...maybe a fail to you but not epic, a race was still run and that is a good thing.

What did you do for warm up? I find the warm up for 5/10k tricky because A) I want to be really revved up and ready to go when the gun sounds and I don't want to stand in the line-up cooling off but B) I'd feel like a real 'poseur' up at the very front standing with the 3min/km folks.

[a-slow-5]

Now I just have to remember how I felt and use that as motivation. Its only really a failure if I don't learn anything.

I love the frankness. And the truth in it.

Congrats on the PB.

[blank]

I wouldn't call that a fail. A very solid time, 12th place, a PB, and an AG placement, that's a great start to the season. And, you can try another race in a couple of weeks.

[ROW]

Still a PB, thats great. You'll get sub 20 eventually. Just try to focus on that pace, try to latch onto someone into the race and just push yourself past your limits.

[turd ferguson]

Thanks for the comments

My warmup was a bunch of sprints in the parking lot, about 15 minutes worth, but I had a long time to cool off after queueing up and waiting for the start. It was cold enough (-1 at the start). My legs felt great in any event, I'm pretty sure it was my head that wasn't warmed up. At about 1 mile in (still on pace) I couldn't feel my arms anymore they were so clenched.

Lisa - I've been doing 800 m intervals at 3:45-4:00. This is why I'm annoyed. 20:00 is a big jump from my prior pb but not my training paces.

Carla - I didn't tell you I placed in my AG because I didn't know when I texted you (they only put up the results last night and I was too annoyed to stick around on Saturday). The last thing I wanted to do was celebrate. Its a weird thing to say, but I didn't care about placement, I still don't, I'm pissed I missed my goal and I want to stay pissed about it.

[jgore]

I'm pissed I missed my goal and I want to stay pissed about it.

Whatever works for you, Mike.

From your comment about not being able to feel your arms, perhaps the key is finding a way to relax. Easier said than done, I know, but maybe something to work on.

[Robbie-T]

Good effort, many of those feelings don't go away, starting up front, feeling like a newbie... 5k races are exciting, pure speed, no pacing or strategy really just get from point A to point B as fast as possible. Very thrilling environment, but also very high risk race, it only takes one break in focus to screw up your race result, a little break could cost you 30-60sec, and you don't have nearly enough time to get any of that back, that is a lot in such a short race where every second counts.

Keep swinging hard in case you hit it.

[Dean Simon]

I would think about doing a longer slow warmup. 5K is all about pain tolerence. I came up short on the same goal last season (20:42). My plan for the first 5 k race next month is 3 km at 5:30/k warm up and a slower start than usual something like 4:10, 4:05, 4:00, 3:55, sub 3:50. Any of you speedsters...comments?

Deano