Another sub 25 minute 5k in the books for 2014. I'm actually kind of amazed that with three 5ks this year, I haven't run over 25 minutes yet. My "comfortably hard" pace, until now, has always been in the 25:15 range, and trust me, those extra 5 seconds per mile make a big difference! I remember when I was trying to run under 25 for a 5k. It seemed like such a big obstacle at the time. I was doing speedwork with Erin, and bouncing between low 25s and high 26s. Then one fall it just clicked and I ran a 24:56, followed by a 24:44, and a 24:31 (my PR) the following summer.
Then I just didn't seem to feel as motivated to try to drop time in the 5k. I was focused on training for half and full marathons. Distance took precedence over speed. Though, with the distance, my threshold for running/endurance pain increased (I called it the "death threshold" in this post). I guess with that tolerance for being uncomfortable, you're able to run a bit faster.
On Saturday our TNT group was supposed to to 12 miles, but I had already signed up for the Run for Haiti with Rene for her birthday! It was going to be her first race, but then things happened and I was able to do the Run Your Heart Out after all, so that was her first race! I was going to just run the 5k and call it a day, since I had done the Rock'n'Roll USA 1/2 the weekend before, but since one of my team members, Kristin (with her friend Tess), was also doing the 5k, we invited Joanna and made it a team thing!
Since Joanna needed the distance, we met at my house at 7am and ran (with a walk to get our packets) 6.75 miles before the 5k. It was at a slow pace, but I think that was good for me (who was technically recovering from the 1/2) and good because it was a semi-hilly route.
We met up with Rene at the start and took this baller 5 person selfie!
Then I just didn't seem to feel as motivated to try to drop time in the 5k. I was focused on training for half and full marathons. Distance took precedence over speed. Though, with the distance, my threshold for running/endurance pain increased (I called it the "death threshold" in this post). I guess with that tolerance for being uncomfortable, you're able to run a bit faster.
On Saturday our TNT group was supposed to to 12 miles, but I had already signed up for the Run for Haiti with Rene for her birthday! It was going to be her first race, but then things happened and I was able to do the Run Your Heart Out after all, so that was her first race! I was going to just run the 5k and call it a day, since I had done the Rock'n'Roll USA 1/2 the weekend before, but since one of my team members, Kristin (with her friend Tess), was also doing the 5k, we invited Joanna and made it a team thing!
Since Joanna needed the distance, we met at my house at 7am and ran (with a walk to get our packets) 6.75 miles before the 5k. It was at a slow pace, but I think that was good for me (who was technically recovering from the 1/2) and good because it was a semi-hilly route.
We met up with Rene at the start and took this baller 5 person selfie!
My swimmer buddy Lauren also joined us for the race (she's in the photos below with her friend Chris). I wasn't planning on trying to race this race, but when Lauren said that she and Chris were trying to go under 25 minutes, I thought about my other two 5ks of 2014 and the little thought in the back of my mind that I wanted to try to run all of my 5ks this year under 25 minutes. So I went for it.
The photo below is where I started to feel the 6.75 miles I had just done. I am smiling, but my legs really didn't have very much to give. I wish I had pushed a little more toward the end so that I could have tried to finish up with Lauren and Chris (and maybe even PR!), but hindsight is always 20/20 and there will be more 5ks in 2014! (just check out my racing schedule, can you tell I love the PRR Races?)
It was all in all an amazingly fun morning!
The photo below is where I started to feel the 6.75 miles I had just done. I am smiling, but my legs really didn't have very much to give. I wish I had pushed a little more toward the end so that I could have tried to finish up with Lauren and Chris (and maybe even PR!), but hindsight is always 20/20 and there will be more 5ks in 2014! (just check out my racing schedule, can you tell I love the PRR Races?)
It was all in all an amazingly fun morning!
When and Where:
- Saturday, March 22nd, 2014
- South Lakes High School (same course as the Run Your Heart Out 5k
- TNT shirt
- crops - Lululemon
- shoes - Saucony Kinvara
Thank you to the Potomac River Running flickr page for these great photos!
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