Race Report

This morning I ran a 5k for the Kearney Community Olympics. I was hoping to finish in a decent place to get my teams some points, but wasn't really counting on it. Only the top three finishers in each age group get extra points, I'm in the 0-29 age group. But more than caring about my place my goal was to finish the race in under 21 minutes.

I'll sum up my run quickly in just one word, shitty.

Before the race my stomach felt weird, I'm sure it was just nevers though. I guess the thought of trying to finish in the top three got to me, I've never really felt nervous before a race that I can remember.

I started up way to far in the pack apparently because everyone took off, including me. I felt like I was holding back a little but still running at a pretty good pace. As we got close to the first mile I checked my watch and DOH!!. I was on the wrong mode so I start the timer. So I had no idea what kind of pace I'd been running other than how it felt, which was a little fast but not too bad. I went ahead and started it a little after mile 1 so I could figure out my first split later.

That feeling of not too bad quickly changed to am I done yet? The thoughts that were running through my head were why am I so damn tired? I can run 3 miles without much trouble and my heart rate wasn't up too high, around 177 or so. I didn't sleep great last night, I woke up off and on. I did however go to bed early, it was before midnight even (ok early for me). I figured it was just one of those days.

I walked through the water break, which was at about the halfway point, so I could get a little water in me (but mostly because I was dead). I felt a little better after that, but that feeling passed quickly as well. I ran the second mile in 7:21, which was too slow for my goal pace. I was getting passed by all kinds of people too, which is always pretty discouraging. I really wanted to go with people when they passed me but my body said "ain't happening dude."

I can handle getting passed by girls, that doesn't bother me at all. But I got passed by a baby, that's right a baby. The kid couldn't even walk, his dad was pushing him in a stroller. Here I am completely dead and pissed because I'm running bad and a BABY passes me. We where just a few blocks from the finish and I said there is no way I'm going to let a baby beat me. Then I thought, but that's not fair, how do I out kick a baby that can't even walk on it's own? I wouldn't have been able to live with myself, so I eased up and let the baby win. (Really that's what happened, I wasn't 100% drained). My watch said 17:22 at the finish which means I ran 10:01 for the last mile (I ran two miles faster than that Wednesday night while keeping my heart rate low at under 150). Very disappointing to say the least. However the race clock said 23:32. Hoohah, that means I ran the first mile in 6:10. That is 9 seconds faster than my fastest mile time trial, no wonder I was so dead the rest of the race.

Anyway I'm really disappointed how I did and now I'm going to just build my base for the rest of the year and hope to crush that time next year. I have to go partake in the rest of the Olympics now (that means no time to proof read, so sorry about the typos). I'm not real sure what I'm going to be doing though. I'll give a report how those go later, so far it's been a really good time.