Training Log Archive: hkleaf

80F, sunny, calm - Summer All-Comers Meet at College of Mt. St. Joseph. Both the Mile and 5k were on the menu today, but my focus was only on the 5k, trying to get a decent time there. I jogged around for a while to warm up, ran the mile easy at 7:11 (including 4 strides on the straight aways the last 2 laps), then ran around some more during the 4x400m relays. Basically, it was a very long and truncated warm up, if you can call it that. I also did quite a few strides, high kicks, etc. (not logged). I just didn't want to waste my time sitting there.

Then came the 5k, which I did alright and met my goal (see entry below for more details). Afterwards, an easy 1mi cool down with John F. The track at CMSJ is fairly new (3-4yrs), and has nice soft surface (good for long distance events).

1.68mi 13:27.14 -- 145/167
1.04mi 7:11.81 -- 152/173
1.51mi 14:42.92 -- 139/173
1.00mi 8:48.82 -- 151/156

5000m race on the track. I've ran x-country, and done some road 5Ks, but have never raced this distance on a track. My road PR is 18:27, so I was hoping for a sub-18 performance here. After the 2-miler last week, I thought it'd be reasonable to try holding a pace @85s per lap for 17:42.5.

Heat 1 had a few of the local top runners and others, who were all shooting to go sub 17:30. I didn't feel like getting lapped and bringing up the rear, so I opted to run in Heat 2 and watched the first race. Derrick Butler outkicked Donnie Warner in the last lap to win it in 15:0?

Then came our Heat. I started out nice and relax, letting others set the early pace. We were a couple seconds slower than my target, but close enough. I wasn't very comfortable running on the inside with the pack, so I picked up my pace slightly in the 3rd lap, and was surprised to find myself in the lead! That's kind of an unfamiliar territory. I just tried to keep running my race, hitting the goal time per lap, all the while waiting for Omah Nash, Karen Berling, or any of the other Earthdrummers to blow by me at any time. Eventually, around lap 6th or 7th, Omah passed me. But he was still running my goal pace, so I stuck with him. With 1 lap to go, he started to open up a small gap. Then his hamstring/quad cramped up, and allowed me to close the gap again. I tried to remind myself to use the arms and lift the legs, and sprinted in hard. I think Omah got me by a body. It was close. I didn't really care, as I got the time that I wanted, a new PR!

Splits per lap, with HRavg / HRmax:
1:26.98 -- 160/175
1:25.12 -- 180/182
1:23.50 -- 185/188
1:24.23 -- 188/190
1:26.37 -- 191/192
1:26.10 -- 191/193
1:27.48 -- 192/193
1:25.70 -- 194/195
1:26.17 -- 195/196
1:25.38 -- 196/197
1:24.95 -- 196/197
1:22.80 -- 198/201
0:34.90 -- 202/203 (last 200m, with a new HRmax!)

4 laps - 5:39
8 laps - 11:25 (5:46)
12 laps - 17:04 (5:39)

So it looks like I slowed a bit in the 2nd mile. Overall, I'm still happy with the consistency from lap to lap, and very happy to have enough left in the tank for the final kick. Perhaps 17 is achievable someday? My HR monitor started beeping at me (HR above 195) with a little over a mile to go, so I was working near or at max for 1/3 of the race. In the future, I think I'll either turn off the alert or adjust to a higher number, because it may be a distraction during the race.

C • Great time! 2

A little extra cool down on my own, running around the campus with a campus map. I was curious to see whether it has any potential for a sprint map. Unfortunately, I think it's too small, and not enough buildings / passage ways to create mass confusion at high speed.

Some at the track, plus more at home. Legs aren't feeling as beat up than last week, which bodes well for hill repeats tomorrow.