Inadvertent Taper Results in BIG 5K PR

OBJECTIVE
Run The Woodlands 5K - use the race to gauge my current fitness and use "Go Zone" racing strategy

ACHIEVED
5K - 19:43 *** new PR ***

8:01 AM 43° 87% 6 mph

First, the good news summarized: I ran a 5K PR today at the Run The Woodlands 5K. The official time (which matched my self-timing) was 19:43.

Now the details ....

I suppose it's not fair to call my "taper" over the past two days inadvertent. Thursday morning I got up and ready to run but walked outside to cold and high winds (low 40°'s and probably around 15 mph winds). I turned around and went back inside. I've run in much worse conditions but for some reason after running shirtless the past few mornings, I had mentally put my cold weather gear into storage and wasn't planning on any more cold weather runs this season. My mental weakness is disappointing and reminded me of a Peter Maher quote. Maher was a two-time Olympic marathoner with Team Canada. "Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day. It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp, or are you going to be strong today.'" (I think I'll start using this as my blog header quote.)

Friday wasn't much better. However, my excuse was. I had a presentation at work that I hustled off early to put the finishing touches on.

So 72 hours off, no excuse for not having fresh legs!

My plan was either run the Bayou Classic 10K or Run The Woodlands 5K today. I wanted to use a race as a fitness check and to try out a new race pacing strategy by Greg McMillan. My preference was the 10K but as the weather forecast developed and called for bad weekend weather, I decided I'd stay close to home and just run the 5K.

I didn't really know what to expect. I haven't run a 5K race in about a year (I'm conveniently discounting the Dana Point 5K last Thanksgiving since I preceded that run by setting a 10K PR). On March 22, 2008, I covered the Run The Woodlands in a PR of 20:13. Everything since then has been geared at longer distances. I felt my conditioning and endurance was better than last year but I haven't done any speed work in at least 6 weeks and the speed efforts I've been using as part of my training wouldn't be considered true speed routines.

I also wanted to try out a new race strategy which was described in the April 2009 issue of Running Times by Greg McMillan. In the past, I've followed an Ed Eyestone approach which, based on studies, suggests covering the first mile 6% faster than expected overall pace. This approach has generally worked for me although I've evolved to calling it the go-out-hard-and-die-like-a-man strategy because I'm often just trying to hold it together at the end. The Go Zone strategy, as McMillan calls his approach, really focuses on the third quarter of the race. It is supposed to be useful at distances ranging from 800 meters to 10K. Analysis has revealed the third quarter of races define success or failure for many runners. To summarize the strategy, it goes something like this (breaking the race in segments from start to finish):

First 1/8 of race: go out aggressive and strong; slightly faster than goal pace
Next 3/8: find a relaxed, fast rhythm; smooth; stay on pace
Next 5/16: Go Zone; attack! & increase intensity; pass someone or pick a point to run to; it should hurt or you're not pushing hard enough
Last 3/16: Get-Time Zone; keep pushing to hold goal pace; start kick with 1-2 minutes of race time left; not easy to sustain longer kick but get your mind to force legs to comply

Frankly, this all seemed like a lot to remember during a race! And it was.

Today's field was light. I think the final tally was 23 runners. I drove up to The Woodlands and surprised myself by how quickly I got there. The morning was cool as I saw thermometers on the drive showing 41° and 43°. I was ready for the temperature. I wore tights, beanie, gloves, singlet over a long-sleeved technical, topped with my running jacket. Everything except the running jacket stayed on for the race. I found out about half way that I really didn't need the hat and gloves.

I broke from the start with another guy who I figured had a good shot at winning today. I quickly learned that I'd guessed right. He was fast but I hung around with him for about .4 miles then looked at my watch to see that I was on something like a 5:30 per mile pace. No this wasn't the plan! I had intended to take the first .5 mile around 6:20 pace but no faster than 6:15. Ahhhhh, the euphoria of being at the front of the pack! But it was short lived.

Realizing that the start was way too hot. I worked on settling in to a rhythm and trying to compensate for over-exerted nervous system. Another runner passed me. Just under a mile in, there's a bridge that is probably the course's most significant landmark. I still do not have any recollection of crossing that bridge. I just remember thinking, if I'm feeling this bad and haven't even gone a mile I'm in trouble!

My rhythm was erratic but I think it was the fast start as much as anything. Under the half way point, a young kid passed me. Shortly after his pass, I looked at my watch to see that I was 1.55 miles into the race. I marked the kid and didn't allow him to widen the gap. Around Mile 2, I passed him back. I felt surprisingly strong and made an effort to break him. I was still in the Go Zone and felt like I was maintaining my intensity.

When I left the Go Zone with about .6 miles left, I had really forgotten what I was supposed to do next. While warming up before the race, I had run the course in reverse to specifically mark the point where .3 miles remained. This is where I planned to start my kick in a long, measured acceleration to the finish. My problem was not having a plan for the .3 miles leading up to the kick. I decided to try holding the pace. About this time, the kid passed me back. He seemed strong and had good turnover. Although I was fighting it, he ever-so-slowly stretched the gap. I had a hope that my kick could reclaim the third position. Why I held the belief that a 42-year old hack could reel in a teenager with his kick, I don't know. It seems ridiculous now. I started my kick as planned. He started at about the same point. He seemed to know the course. The gap stayed the same until about 100 meters to go. Somehow I was closing but, unfortunately ran out of road. He beat me by 4 seconds.

I wasn't sure if I had gone under 20 minutes since I didn't really keep tabs on my overall time. I had too much to work with just trying to stay "in the segment" and hit my proper paces. Overall, I didn't do a good job with the strategy but I think I like it. I'll use it again and work to become more familiar with it. Obviously the fast start had some impact on the end result. It's impossible for me to know if the net time gained at the start was greater than the lost time caused by sucking wind because of it or visa versa. I need to set up my watch differently. I'm so used to seeing mile splits that the change to 0.19 mile splits really screwed with my mind .... Hey, maybe that's how I missed the bridge ....

Here are my "zone" splits:

Start (0.39 mi.) - 2:11.5 (5:39/mi.)
Fast Rhythm (1.17 mi.) - 7:41.0 (6:36/mi.)
Go Zone (0.97 mi.) - 6:14.5 (6:26 mi.)
Get-Time Zone (0.58 mi.) - 3:36.0 (6:11/mi.)

I'm clearly back to my reality. That is, I have speed but lack endurance. Here are my PR's along with my age grade.

03-14-09 5K 19:43 69.32%
11-27-08 10K 41:56 67.40%
11-15-08 10M 1:10:14 66.36%
01-18-09 HLF 1:33:38 66.28%
10-04-08 MAR 3:27:00 62.75%

I suppose this can be spun a couple different ways. Since I've only been running for two years, the cumulative training impact of my mileage wasn't shown up entirely in my race results yet. I've read it can take up to 5 years of training to peak. Or, maybe it's that physiologically I am just genetically faster than I have endurance. Or, maybe I'm training wrong. Or, maybe it's a combination of these. Or .... There's only one way to find out the answer and that's to keep running.

Today was a good day on the road.

Oh, almost forgot that a couple members of The Woodlands Running Club invited me out to their Wednesday night speed work. They have a national champion coach working with them. If I could figure out a way to get there from downtown, I suppose I'd give it a shot.

PRE RUN
Water and Corn Chex w/1% milk

POST RUN
SlimFast and water