Running race 16:19 [5] 5.0 km (3:16 / km) +16m 3:13 / km
ahr:164 max:198
Rathfarnham 5k - 16:19
Keen to give it a go and try to run a quick one. I ran 16:11 last year off a little speedwork, but not a lot. I was less fit then and heavier, but clearly had some power or speed cos that was a big pb.
This year things had gone similarly, I had done slightly more speedwork maybe, better base, fitter, but still very much struggling to work out how I was going to run quicker than last year. I did also have a week less to recover from the mournes which always had the potential to effect the legs.
Anyway, I got to the start line fairly unscathed and pretty well tapered.
I put the auto-laps on, wanted up, some strides and got my spot a couple rows back.
Big crowds as we started, I knew I was moving quickly, so made sure to keep it a bit relaxed, but it is slightly downhill so still ran a 3:08. Paul Fleming was just ahead and I was remembering him cruise by me after 1.5km or so last year and run 20s faster, so I knew he was a good pacer and knows this race.
With that in mind I sat on him instead of moving by as I felt I should, and backed that he would be running another ~16:00.
I used him as my pacer and was happy out over the first km. Up the hill on km2 I moved by a bit but made sure not to kick on, and Paul came back by as it flattened, so I sat on.
It was comfy and the pacing was paying off as we were coming through runners. I didn’t see my 2nd km split but wasn’t too worried.
I started setting markers on the big back straight. Start of bushy park again. Then the end of bushy park. Then the left turn towards home.
I was sitting with Paul as we approached Bushy, all good. We ticked of km3 in 3:23, which I could vaguely remember was a 3:20 last year so knew I was maybe just off, but in the same sort of area as last year.
Suddenly Paul accelerated after the 3rd km, and I could feel it. I went with a bit but wasn’t hanging on. He got to another group, I gradually got up to them as we going through the otherside. I was passing them but not easily. As we turned left I wasn’t too far back, but the gap was growing and as we started to descend I couldn’t increase the pace when others could. The gap really grew now and 1 or 2 went by.
I started my feet-watching which always seems to work, and a guy who looked like he would go away suddenly became easy to hold onto. I thought about going by but knew I wouldn’t be able.
More markers as I counted the turns till the finish. Slowly I hung on, and eventually it came into sight.
No potential excrement issues today so maybe I didn’t push myself hard enough, but I still couldn’t muster much for the sprint finish as I watched the clock tick towards 16:20.
All in all, pretty happy really. I wanted to go for that 16:11 pb, but close enough. Still though, makes me feel like I should try again with a little more work and maybe we will get there. I might even try work on speed a bit this year. Tempting. We shall see.