Since I ran a 21:15 timed 5K on the Eddie Murphy loop in November 2013 I have felt that getting the softest time in the boards 10 round numbers thread was doable. There is nothing soft about a sub 20 minute 5K but it is doable regardless of your age or ability. It takes work, discipline and a lot of training. In my case it took 3 marathon cycles or 18 months of thankfully uninterrupted training to get to the position that I found myself in this evening when I toed the line for the first Clare AAI Summer Series 5K. After last weeks Four miler at the required pace I was confident of doing it even on a slightly tougher course, but it still had to be done.
Course
Clare AAI run two separate 5K courses at the Lees Road Complex. One that start and finishes at the main entrance and one that finishes in the grounds of the complex. The later has a nasty hill in the last Km so I was delighted to see the start finish area outside the complex on my way to registration. The First Km is uphill, Second Km undulating with little or no flat, Third KM has a climb a the start and it then drops all the way to the Four Km Marker. The last Km is relatively flat with a small bump 200m before dropping back to the finish. I know the section of road from the start to the 2K very well so plan was settle into 4 Min/K pace and pickup time on the faster section in the second half to the finish.
Race
So much for strategy. Made sure I was right up the front so as not to get caught up in traffic as this was a Gun Time race and hit off with runners/greyhounds streaming by me. Settled in to the pace pretty quickly and split 1K @ 3:57 with an identical split @ 2K. All going to plan. Made the climb after 2K and then tried to pick it up. Nothing for some reason it got extremely hard at this point, 3k split was 4:03 negative thoughts enter the head fight them off and keep going. Even with the downhill section the 4K split was 4:01 fuck its not going to happen tonight. Things seemed to be slipping away and its here that you either kick a race to touch or you get kicked to touch yourself. 
For the last K I was going to have to dig very deep to get this done. Upped the effort again, suddenly I was catching runners in front. There was a strung out group of about 6-7. Unlike last week when I settled in behind, tonight I pushed on and passed each runner bar 2 in the group. It helped me focus and when the finishing clock was in sight I noted 19:20 on it. Shocked at the ground I made up but finally knew it was in the bag, so much so I kicked on from here and had a battle royal with another runner over the last 50M and just piped him, 19:45 for a 3:48 last KM
Result
So finally able to add my name to that table on boards tonight. Still think there is more in the tank. If I can run 3:48 in the last K, I should be able to run the same time for the proceeding four just need to HTFU. Results also have me as 1st M45 runner but no prize unless I manage that feat for the remaining three races in the series. Might consider it but my training will shifting focusing more on 10 Mile/ Half Marathon work from here on.
Great running, sir!
ReplyDelete