Flashes of Panic

I can’t really describe that race as anything other than hard work.

It was hot when we started, hotter than the 4th of July 5-miler usually is, but fortunately without the swampy July humidity. I decided to stick to my plan, which was essentially to run relatively easily for 400, push for 200, and follow that pattern (though obviously a closing 400m push was needed at the end.) The rest of the men in the race left me behind more or less immediately, and a pack of four women formed around me, but they were also moving faster than I should have so I let them go as well. And then I ran alone, except when someone was lapping me. Four guys, the lead pack, lapped me twice; two or three more got me once. None of the women lapped me, but I lapped one. I won’t be the last name in the results, because one or two other men dropped out. It was, as I said, hot.

I clicked splits at the end of each of my 600m repeats, but didn’t look at them. 2:15s would have taken me to my goal time, but I was (of course) hoping for 2:13 or 2:12. I got 2:09 (fast start), 2:14 (better?), 2:17 (bad pattern), 2:14, 2:19 (ouch), 2:17, 2:19, then 3:02 for the last 800. I had 18:55 on my watch, but I know I didn’t catch the start right so I’m betting the official time is 18:56. I felt OK through at least 3k, the first five 600s, but the last k in particular was pretty rough.

It’s a little disappointing that I’m not running faster at this point (though this was a faster per-mile average than the 5-miler over Memorial Day weekend.) But for running all alone on the track in the heat, I’m pleased to have made it through and stuck to my workout. Also, thanks to having the workout to focus on, this was mentally one of the easiest track 5ks I’ve run.

I decided, reluctantly, to race in road flats (the ruby slippers are pretty enough to get some attention from a toddler on the T) instead of spikes, so I should be able to walk comfortably tomorrow.

The footnote to the meet (for me—I expect it would be the headline for most spectators) was a men’s mile added to the schedule at the request of Ben True and his coach. Five years ago I ran my fastest post-college (road) 5k behind him; today he ran 3:59.99 (!!) for the mile. The time almost slipped away from him, but a Georgetown runner who had been shadowing him most of the race moved out to pass on the homestretch and Ben kicked hard to save both the win and the sub-4—his first, I think. That was pretty cool.

Update: Results are posted but the time they have listed for me is profoundly wrong (by nearly half a lap) and I can’t figure out how.

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