Race For The Cure 5K

My third official week of training under RC wrapped up nicely. The weekend held a wonderful race and a long run that packed a punch

The Race for the Cure marks an anniversary of my running. My first 5K was the Race for the Cure in 2003. I can’t believe that it’s been 6 years since I started running. I only wish that I had known all that I know now back when I started. Knowing it now is all that matters and I’ve enjoyed it all the same.

My training week last week consisted of a few easy runs, one night of serious speed work (4 intervals of 1200 meters each! Wow...), one tempo run (That, dare I say, wasn’t very hard?), an extra quality workout being my race, and a long run of 11 miles.

As for Race Day, everything went as well as I could expect. I asked RC what to shoot for as far as pace or goal finishing time. According to my handy dandy little training chart, my “projected” 5K time would be 25:20. RC said that I could pace myself to hit that finish time OR I could go for a PR.

I’m thinking to myself… my PR for 2009 just so happens to be 25:22 at the Cantrell Center 5K. In 2008 my fastest 5K time was in the 27’s (ouch). In 2007 I hit my lifetime PR at the Race for the Cure. So, let’s see, this means I hit a peak back in 2007 that I havn’t gotten very close to in TWO WHOLE YEARS! No time to dwell on being lazy for two years, let’s do something about it… let’s get back to where I was in 2007 at move forward from there!

My plan on race morning was to run an 8:10 pace for mile 1, 8:00 pace for miles 2, and 7:50 pace for mile 3. This should at least get me to beat my Cantrell Center 5K time. I actually ended up running:
Mile 1 – 8:07
Mile 2 – 7:41
Mile 3 – 7:46
.15 – 1.05
My finishing time being 24:40

I am very very happy with my time for this race. Not a PR, but pretty darn close after only 3 weeks of serious focused training. I’m also a little happy that I didn’t PR since I didn’t pay for chip timing, my results wouldn’t have been posted anyway! But I have my garmin data as my own proof, and that works for me!

The day after the race (which I never thought I’d do) I ran my long run of 11 miles. I threw in 3 miles at marathon pace, seeing as how my next goal race is the Mus. of Aviation Half Marathon. It’s time to start getting ready for how it’s going to feel running at that speed for 13 miles! My long run yesterday went well. I ran my first 6 miles at an easy pace averaging 10:30. Then I kicked it in a higher gear for 3 miles averaging a 9:12 pace. The last two miles I really wanted to get in at a faster average pace than the first 6, which I did, with a 9:33 avg. pace. My total time for 11.4 miles was 1:50:19. I couldn’t be happier!

This upcoming week is going to be another tough… high mileage (high mileage to ME) week. I’m going to run the Jay’s Hope 5K on Saturday. I know nothing about the race course at all, so I’m still not sure what I think I’m going to do. I guess I’ll have to wait and see.