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This is the first race of a great series, which includes a 5k, 10k and 15k every two weeks at The Great Saltair in Salt Lake City.
I'll do a review of the series at the end. This is my race recap.
Not where I wanted to be. I was trying to be ambitious, but unsure what I could do. I expected to at least PR. Strange experience. I started with the fast guys. We were all running at 4:40pace. Way too fast. I pulled back to a 5:30pace on the slight downhill at the start. Then I settled into a 6:00pace. I was right on mark for mile 1 at 6:04min so that I could progressively kick it faster the next 2 miles.
During mile 2 I kept my cadence, but every time I looked at my watch it said anything between 6:20-6:30pace. I thought for sure my watch was off. But it maintained. At the 1.5mile turn-around the time said 9:33...my watch was right, uhg!
I kept trying to kick faster, but no matter how hard I pushed for the next mile I could not break the 6:20pace. What was going on? I could feel way more in me!
During the last half-mile I kept trying to kick it, but nothing, until the last quarter. Finally!
I got it down to a 6:10 and finally hit a 5:50 (where I wanted to be the whole race), and then hit a 5:30 for the last tenth of a mile.
In the end, I didn't even PR. I got 4th place in my age group by only 5 seconds--blast--(I'm not crying, you are). My time was 19:26, with a 6:16 average pace.
Strangely, my average HR was only 151 and my max was only 169! What in the world was going on? Likewise, my VDOT for this race was 51.5. I've been training at a 53 VDOT. I knew I had more in me the whole time!!!
So why the heck couldn't I get me legs to go faster?
It was a surreal feeling. I did an easy 2-mile warm up. So I was not too cold. I didn't get hot until the very end. So I know it was not that. The only thing I can figure is that it was mental and I need more speed workouts. That will help me not just physically, but also mentally to know that I can do it. To be honest, the thought of running 5:50s scared me.
Ironically, 2 miles into my cool down run I felt awesome, like I could have run 5:50s easily. Oh, well.
Next time Gadget!
ABOUT THE AVERAGE JOE RUNNER
Well, his real name is actually Dave...but "The Average Joe Runner" seemed like a catchy name for a blog. Born a sprinter, but converted to distance running in adulthood, Dave has run for more than 25 years. He is the father of four awesome kids and the husband to one amazingly talented, smart and fast-running wife.
The Average Joe Runner blog and website was born after Dave continued to get questions from friends and family alike for running tips and gear advice. However, this blog is also meant to hear from other Average Joe and Jane Runners out there. You can contribute to the blog by clicking Submit or Request. Follow The Average Joe Runner on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @TheAvgJoeRun. Read More