The standard at this event was never at all good (the race is only in its 3rd year) i.e. a sub 20 would've gotten you inside the top 20 the last 2 years - that's quite shocking - for me a good standard 5km race (think the Rathfarnham 5km) you should be struggling to get inside the top 200 with a sub 20 - because lets face it almost anybody in a reasonable state of health could do it with adequate training.
The sub 20 would've gotten you in the top 10 comfortably today - oh dear...
This leaves me thinking maybe I should try & go for the win next year? or at the very least give the eventual winner or lead pack a good scare/run for their money (quite literally!) anyway! I've always wanted to win a road race, but when the regular club runners are there it'll probably never happen, so this looks like my best shot as most serious club runners seem to boycott the event (unintentionally). I need to find out the winning time, if it was slower than say 17:30 (almost certainly!) I think I could do it next year - if I devoted all my running time to it (the grass & cycling are my best friends here!) between now & then. do the odd 8 & 10 miler but no more stick to the shorter stuff for the next 12 months & really hurt myself at least once a week.
I'm gonna become a speed freak for the next couple of years & see how that goes - besides my legs can't deal with the distance (35+ miles a week - heck even 25 miles was pushing it - christ!!! that's nothing!) training - leave that to the bike. cycle 50 miles etc instead...
However I will always prefer distance running. 5km is a sprint really (it's much too short to enjoy it! - almost), it's the times that keep me interested in it & the pain factor - it really hurts & I like this fact alot! hopefully as the years go on & my legs get stronger & my consistency stays good maybe then the body will let me but for now, it's not to be & that's ok.
We started off very relaxed altogether (I was in the 2nd row thinking I'd struggle for a sub 21) & the only other runner I knew was Paul Fallon, once I passed him (& a rack of kids!) there was only 4 lads ahead of me (recognised none of them except for the leader - a Castlegar ac runner I believe) I passed them 2 with ease (honestly I've ran harder 1st kms in an 8km road race - didn't get the split but it must've been 3:40, although it is an uphill 1st km ( & I was not working hard at all!)...) so then it was just me & 2 other lads who were running stride for stride who were maybe about 40 metres ahead of me.
Had I been at the front at the start of the race I'm confident I would've gone with them full gas for the 1st km just for shits & giggles, then that'd probably have been me done for the day & may have not gotten my sub 20 who knows...
Anyway I held 3rd place for the 1st half of the race almost (quite unbelieveable really!) but like I say the standard was appalling to say the least...
It's true though that I turned off the gas at about 800 to go, my attitude was, fuck it I'm in sub 20 shape, happy days, I'll just cruise in (I had a final exam this morning with only 3hrs sleep so I took pity on myself you could say...)
The aul fella brought me out & even said that I wasn't trying hard enough! nice of him, he was dead right. he's ran marathons himself years ago so we'll let him away with it - he's qualified, shall we say...
I'm confident 19:20 was there today but I looked around at the lads who passed me in the final 300m & said to myself with a bit more training (or even just a more aggressive attitude today) I could take any of these guys & that's the truth. I should've held 3rd as I have the raw ability, I just mentally gave up in the last km - you simply cannot do that!!! you push all the way - go hard or go home... I don't regret it but I must never allow myself to forget that in more serious outings... today was a fun run really & that's ok too!
anyway that's in an ideal world with good prep. I hadn't ran for almost 2 weeks before my ramble around dangan on Sunday so it was Sunday that saved me (& of course the daily cycle in & out of college - for sure!)
A great confidence booster though for the 5km series! hopefully break 19:30 even 19:15 come 24th may when we do this race again (only 500 plus people stronger!).
sub 20 5km is my base level fitness now, provided I stay reasonably active (which I always will) so I can only improve on this... I remember last year desperately trying to break 20 & today I did it with ease whilst throwing away 30 odd seconds due to my tardiness + lack of prep (although this isn't all my own fault) - that's progress!
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