3 Simple Miles

The Whitney Elementary Reindeer Run is a 5K put on by our local elementary school.  I had not run a 5k all year because I wanted to focus on Ultra and Marathon distances.  But I felt a responsibility to support running in my local community so I signed up.  I had a secret goal that I didn't really want to verbalize because I wasn't sure it was possible...a sub20 5K.

For those of you who don't speak Runner, let me explain.  First of all, a 5k is 3.1 miles.  It is a crumb of a bite sized race when compared to the 26 mile marathon (and let me state here a 5K is NOT a marathon and calling a 5k a marathon in the presence of a runner is equivalent to dropping the F bomb in a kindergarten class) or 50 - 100 mile ultra marathon.

Not to belittle the 5K.  It can be a REALLY tough race because it is so short compared to the marathon, a 5k is more like a sprint than a distance run.  Yeah, you try sprinting 3 miles and tell me how easy it is.  I have seen plenty experienced runners cross the finish line and lose their breakfast.

Sub 20 refers to time in minutes. 

My fastest 5k to date was 20:04.  I ran that in July of 2011 on a perfectly flat course and after doing speedwork all summer.  I wasn't really sure that I could go any faster.  I felt totally wasted after that race and knew that I had give it my all.  The thought of tapping some unknown resource that would help me go even faster was unfathomable. 

Let's do the math: To run a sub-20 5k I would need to drop 5 seconds from my fastest time.  I knew from tempo runs I could run a 7 minute mile for at least 5 miles and feel pretty good...But if I carried three 7 minute miles, I was 1 minute over my goal.  My fastest miles were about 6:20.  If I could hold a 6:30 pace for 3 miles I would come in at 19:30 (plus 0.1 miles). 

Yeah, it sounds a lot easier than it is. I worked out several scenarios: 3 miles at 6:30; first mile at 7, second at 6:30, last mile at 6 flat (like that was going to happen); 2 miles at 6:30 and a 7 (much more likely but I would have to shave seconds off the last mile to keep it under 20 minutes). 

Two things I figured: 1--it was probably possible.  2.  It would hurt like crazy.

My training was mostly focused on Ultramarathon preparation.  I did a 50 mile race in October and had back to back Marathons coming up at the end of December.  Not to say that I didn't blast out a few fast miles, but for every mile of speedwork I did, there were about 20 miles of plodding along--teaching my body to keep going mile after mile no matter how slow.  Would the accumulation of all those slow miles do me any good in a 3 mile sprint?

In my favor were:
1. Weather: the weather was a cool 55 degrees.  Just about perfect for racing.
2.  I had a Batman Shirt.  Honestly, how can you go wrong with Batman?
3.  Pacers: I didn't have pacers but there were 2 kids from the High School Cross country team running.  I knew they would go under 20 Minutes.  If I could keep up with them, I would make it to.  (Before the race started I asked one of them what his goal was.  When he replied, "I'm going to shoot for 17 minutes," I decided keeping up with them might not be such a good idea.)

I jogged 3 miles to warm up then did striders to stay loose and get my legs ready for the real running.  I told myself (as all runners do) that the world wouldn't end if I didn't go under 20 minutes but (as most runners do) I didn't really believe it.

We lined up on the starting line.  I pushed my way to the front...not that I'm a jerk (maybe I am) but I was going for a RACE here; I couldn't afford to lose precious seconds behind the joggers and kids that hadn't truly paid the dues to be at the front of the starting line. 

The horn sounded; it was as if a gunshot rang out from behind us and the crowd surged forward with the momentum of a derailed freight train.  Four of us quickly dropped the crowd and it became painfully evident who the runners were.  Three of the guys were from the cross country team (the two I expected and one more).  I drafted behind the main group, knowing that I could not possibly beat them but hoping they might drag me to a PR.  At about a half mile I glanced at my Garmin and almost gasped when I saw that we were on pace to do a 5:34 mile.  I had never done a mile faster than 6 minutes...Don't think about the pace, I told myself, just follow those t-shirts.

And that's what I did.  It was shortly after the first mile that one of the 3 cross country kids slowed and I passed him.  The two that I knew were fast shared the lead.  It was about this point last year that I faltered and they dropped me.  This year I held steady until about mile two.  By this point I was totally spent.  I didn't even have the energy to flip my wrist up and check out time/pace.  The boys pulled up to a 10 then 20 yard lead.  I could her the PE teacher (who was riding in the vehicle leading the way) shouting at me to hurry, that I could still catch them.  I willed my legs to spin faster but nothing happened.  The best I could do now was hold on and hope it was enough.

We rounded the corner off the street into the school parking lot.  There was about 600 yard to go.  My brain shrieked, "ENOUGH ALREADY! Just coast in...there will be other races to set a PR."  I thought about the agony of the last 2.5 miles.  Was that all to be wasted?  No Way, Brain, I argued.  We go hard to the end--then you can kill me if you want.

I pumped my arms to keep my pace as fast as possible, gasping for air.  My vision blurred as I leaned into the last turn.  Just through the chute.  I grit my teeth and gave the rest of me over the race.

Someone was calling for me to come back...they needed my race bib or something.  It didn't matter.  The race was run and I needed to find a trash can to throw up in.  I waved my hand in acknowledgement and waited for my vision to come back, gasping for air and savoring the sweet, satisfying ache of having given it my very best. 

My time?  What was my time, I suddenly remembered that I had set a goal.  I looked at the clock.  Stared for a moment to try and register what I saw and then nodded with a pride I felt only a few times in my life.

19:05.
I not only set a PR, and broke the 20 minute barrier but KILLED my previous time.  It was enough to earn 3rd place overall, behind the cross country kids (and in front of a few).

So now there is question in my mind: what will happen next year when I focus on speed training?