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January 01, 2005
Resolution Run 5K
So I ran a 5K last night to kick off New Year's Eve! A great little specialty running store in Chicago, Universal Sole (www.universalsole.com), puts on this race every year. B. and I went to the gym around 1PM, but as we were strolling along on our respective treadmills, we made a definitive decision to run the race. So we ran 3 miles, biked for 10 minutes, lifted, and called it a workout.
My twin sister, A., my brother-in-law and B. and I all packed into our purple mini-van and drove to the race around 5PM. The weather was ridicuously warm for Chicago - 48 degress at the lakefront. I wore shorts, a long sleeve T, a hat and gloves - and I was overly toasty.
Anyway, the past 6 weeks that I have been back running, I have been averaging about 15-20 miles/week; as a result, I did not have any real goals. I just wanted to break 21:00! So I started the race and went through the mile in 6:30 - which felt easy! I sort of freaked out, though, because I didn't want to push it. I decided to tuck myself into a pack of 6 men running. The path was pitch black at that point so I was paranoid about tripping and hurting myself.
The 2 mile marker was definitely off so I disregarded that split, but I did assume that I had slowed down a lot and I decided to coast the rest of the race (with my nice pack of men).
BUT, when I came out of the final tunnel and saw the clock about 100 yards ahead, I started to kick myself for taking it easy. If I would have run just a tad harder, I would have broken 20:00 (something I have not done too often because I have never trained specifically for a 5K). According to my marathon time, I should easily be running 18:40s - but I am still running around 19:40-20:00.
I came in around 20:11 and felt soooooo relaxed and fresh. This reminds me that, for me, less is often more. There is no way I should be running that time off of 15 miles/week. I have decided that for 2005, I will not exceed 60 miles per week unless something truly miraculous occurs. I just feel that I am much more successful - and much less injury prone - off of lower mileage. To each their own, right?
HAPPY NEW YEAR! Next up: sub 19:00 in the 5K (it's about time!)
By the way, B. ran awesome - 23:00 and my twin sister, A., ran better than all of us! She claims she is a non-runner, but she ran 21:45 (holy molley!). She surprised me - and I will admit to feelings of slight envy :( She has been better than me at everything we have ever done - I honestly think if she trained for a marathon she would run faster than me too. We have never been competitive, though. I am sooooo proud of her! AND, my brother-in-law, K., who has not run in 2 years, coasted in around 33:00!
Posted by bridget at January 1, 2005 09:48 AM