I signed up for last weekend’s Minneapolis 5K earlier this summer, for some late summer speed work and to take another shot at the fastest in-state time of the year for the distance. In my only other 5K of the year I ran 18:59 (90% age grade) but came up short, two seconds my teammate. That was still fairly early in the season and I felt flat that day, so I thought I could improve on that. My goal for this race was 18:47.
It turns out I can’t just dream up a time and run a season’s best while working through the race. Who would have known that?
Training
The summer block post June half marathon has gone well for marathon training, and the impromptu mile last month gave some encouragement for a speed reserve, and I felt that on a with day I could readily break 19 for the second time this season.
From the first week of July to last weekend I averaged about 65 miles a week, and other than a bout of stomach flu in August, which set me back for a few days, training has gone really well.
The past three weeks were 72, 70,and 75 with long runs of 18.7-22.5 miles (30 to 35 km) and some decent workouts. Last week I ended up doing two long runs within the same week to allow some recovery for next weekend’s half marathon (my A race, leading up next month’s marathon). Ideally I would have liked to have spaced these out a little better but with the schedule and the illness setback the other week, I went for it.
Race day weather was only okay. It wasn’t blistering hot or humid, but it was still quite warm and humid, mid-70s and 87% humidity with 10-12 mph winds. Like the heavy training load, I would not call that ideal conditions for a race but it wasn’t bad.
My goal was to go out in 6:00-6:05/mile pace until the turn around on a wide boulevard and then bring it home. I was surprised at the relatively small field of just over 100 other runners, with some doubling back from the 10K which had started 90 minutes earlier. Doing the double is kind of a thing, and they have awards for the best doublers.
The Race
I lined up on the 2nd row, and the gun went off. The first 20-30 meters were a little dicey as I had to navigate around a couple runners, but then it was clear sailing. Three runners, including the women’s winner went around about a minute into the race, and maybe I should have gone with them. But I just held my pace and effort, checking my watch a couple of times, and after the initial burst it showed 6:05-6:10. So I was already a little off. And I dropped off from the lead dozen or so, who were stringing out. The effort felt about right for the day–I could tell my turnover was a little slow and stride was not bouncy, but I also felt in control.
Just after a mile (6:10) I passed the two runners who had been 10-20 meters up and looked to the pack, but the next four or five runners were already another 50 meters or more ahead. That gap would only grow. The half turn-around is a loop around a traffic circle, which seemed endless (about 400 m to get around it). I checked my watch at 1.65 miles and it was reading 6:10 pace, so again I was off by a bit). The finish seemed a long way off, but I tried to pick it up, to see if I could make up time on the return. But split the second mile in 6:14 and I knew sub 19 was out. I didn’t give up, and rather tried pick up the effort throughout the last mile, which has two bends (but no real turns). The third mile was in 6:10. I accelerated to the finish and split that last stretch in about 5:40 pace, and crossed the line in 19:15. Not what I had hoped for, but considering the weather and the long run just three days prior, it was okay.
I have a standing goal to aim for 90% age grade if the course and conditions are good, this one was 88.6% (1st overall!). Yes it could have been better but I’m not disappointed. To get over 90% I need to be rested, have good weather, and have nearby runners to pace with. Last weekend’s race did not have any of those factors in my favor.
I gave it a good go, but it was a B+ day. There’ll be other 5Ks. Maybe not this year, but next year.
Following a big month with a peak in May (25K) and Bolder Boulder 10K just two weeks later I recovered and just trained though June with no cut backs or races, managing about 60 miles a week.
Racing would resume in July.
Normally I like have my races scattered so that I’m focused and not fatigued from training. However, this month I decided to do five races in a span of sixteen days, although the slate consisted of two 800s and two 5Ks and capped off with a track 10000 m. That’s a lot of races but only adding up to 21.6 km, it did not seem like over racing.
Firekracker 5K, July 4
For the third year in a row I returned to Fort Collins for this race. I had no breakthroughs in June but no break downs, just a routine month which counts as a win. I did four consecutive weeks with a double threshold day (early in the week), a second workout day that was either tempo or fartlek, and a long run. And I mixed in a little bit of speed work here and there to get ready for the 800.
I was looking forward for the trip back up to Fort Collins, but kind of fell into a funk a day or two before. I think it was allergies compounded with new contact lenses with a poor prescription. Not to mention I retired from work/career less than a week ahead of the race. And of course extensive political turmoil that if you look at it, was just plain upsetting.
We spent the night in Fort Collins, so we wouldn’t have to get up so early on Thursday. I woke up that day feeling way off, and decided that this would be a non-race and that I would just tempo the first mile and progress from there. Per usual with this race, the first half mile is hectic and crowded, with several sharp turns a lot of fast-starting runners, some with dogs. I don’t know why a race with close to 2,000 people should allow dogs on leashes. It’s dangerous.
Finally, by the time we hit the north side of the cemetery on La Porte Street, just before 1 mile, things had strung out enough to relax and find a stride. Despite feeling groggy all morning and a little bit out of body, right up to the start, I was pleasantly surprised split the mile in 6:20 feeling pretty good. It helped that we had an unseasonably cool morning at 53 degrees, instead of the more typical +/-70 F. So I started moving up and picked off a string of runners including the leading leashed dog runners.
The 2nd mile was even better, which I covered in 6:10 and a good rhythm. So I kept it going as we swept by City Park Lake and the Park itself, and I held it together over the final half mile. I didn’t want to dig too deep because I would be racing an 800 m in just 36 hours, so I quietly accelerated to the finish with a 6:04 final mile, to finish at about 6:10 pace. The time was just 3 or 4 seconds slower than 2022. That day I was a little disappointed, but two years later I’m not complaining about 2024.
Final 30 meters of the July 4th 5K.
Track Series 800 m
Just a day and a half later I found myself trying to be up for my first official 800 m race in 15 years, and one of just a few since my late 20s. I gave the event a shot as a newbie runner when I was a college freshman–way back in 1977–but the 800 was never my event.
Our club was trying to put together a relay for US Masters Track and Field Championships in a couple of weeks and I thought that even though I wouldn’t be fully recovered, it would be a good idea to line up and race at least once. I expected we would have two heats for the men’s division and the slower heat would be won in about 2:30 as it was in the first meet last month. That’d be a high-end mark and I hoped to be in the 2:32-2:35 range on Friday.
None of that worked out. The race only had a dozen runners, nine were under the age of 30 and all would run 2:15 or faster. There were three old guys, myself, my club teammate (and putative relay partner Dan), and a gentleman in his 70s. Dan wasn’t planning to run at all, but his partner is a race official who saw my name so she signed him up after the entry deadline had closed. I was a little but what? Dan has a very competitive do-or-die approach to racing, often closing his emails with “Strength and Honor” whatever that means. He also stated several times that he would not go to US nationals just to win, it was get the American record or stay home.
Dan’s attitudes and mine sometimes clash. I was a little nervous going in, knowing how he likes to race (lurking and stalking and making a move later in the race), and that if I have an off day he can run me down. I don’t like losing to anyone in my age group at local races, including Dan.
We did warm up together, and of course the race was delayed by some 40 minutes. We lined up on the outside of the waterfall start. The gun went off, and the field sprinted away in a matter of a few meters. I laughed a little.
It was my last laugh of the evening. I could feel Dan’s footsteps behind me, but chose to focus on finding the right pace (figuring a 38-39 first 200 would be a good start). The leaders had 40 meters on me on the backstretch and footsteps behind faded but I had no I idea by how much. I was running totally alone–just what I didn’t want, this race was supposed to be a calibration.
I came through the 400 in 77-78, some 15 to 20 seconds behind the leaders and (later I would learn) 6 or 7 seconds ahead of Dan. At that point I was feeling okay, and hoping that I could hold on for another lap at that pace. However, after rounding the curve, with 300 to go, my legs started to tighten up. I picked it up there (in hindsight should have kept the effort even for another 150 meters or so), and I sped down the backstretch for about 80 or 90 meters. But with 200 to go my legs and lungs really locked up and I was just jogging the curve (probably at 3:00 pace). With a 100 to go, I knew Dan would be coming on strong so I threw down one last surge which I held for about 50 meters. Then I locked up one final time. I was moving forward but not fast.
Mu goal time was out the window, I wouldn’t be near 2:40, let alone 2:32-35, but at least I was holding off my teammate/rival. Five meters to go I had it. Four, three, one more stride! Nope! He got me with a meter to go! To lead for 799 meters and to falter, that was a bit of a slap in the face. But I deserved it, not being 100% rested and I ran a poor race tactically. I congratulated Dan, and moved on.
Two meters to go, not looking good!
State Championship 5K
I took my lump of coal on that one, and set out for a good week of training leading up to the 5K.
Going into race weekend my attitude wasn’t great, another rival had just turned 65 I figured I would be pressed in this one as I had been in the 800. However, that’s racing, and racing when you have good competition and a target on your back.
Race day dawned a lot warmer than in the Fort Collins race just nine days prior, by race time the temperature was in the mid 70s and climbing. With a number of solid competitors in the 60+ age division (no Dan this time), I resolved to go out competitively, but not too fast. We were off and I quickly settled into a 6:05-6:10 pace with two runners in their early 60s some 5 or 10 seconds up, and my new age group rival just behind me. The course is a sidewalk around a lake, so it’s fairly narrow. Just before the mile I passed the two age rivals, feeling solid, and I hit the mile in about 6:06 looking ahead and trying not to think about those in my wake. That split was quite a lot faster than the 6:20 I did in Fort Collins, but this course was flatter at the start. So I pressed on into mile 2. I only picked off a couple runners for the remainder of the race, primarily just holding my position.
2nd mile was 6:10 and the trail had a switchback with a mile to go, and there I could see that my age rivals were well behind. That gave me the rare opportunity to hold back a little bit on the final mile, which I ran in 6:15. I did kick it in over the last 150 m to finish in under 19 minutes for the first time at altitude since 2021. The course was said to be a little short, but close enough. Job done.
Making my way to the final stretch in the 5K.
Three races in nine days, two good 5Ks and a poor effort at 800. Would that be enough (or too much) to be ready for Nationals, which would start 1,200 miles of driving and only five days later?
