Wanderers Track Meet

First I'd like to get down the beginning of the week.

Mon - Off

Tues - scheduled to be my tempo day but with the track meet moved from Tuesday to Wednesday it forced me to change the week up. For no reason at all I thought 10 easy miles would fit in well.

I put in 4.5 miles before the Tuesday night group run on a loop through University City and back top the Art Museum. I then joined the group for 5 miles and ran most of the way with Jim. I didn't feel great on the run, making me happy that the track meet had been postponed a day due to rain. 9.5 miles or so in 75 minutes.

Wednesday - Track Meet

The weather was almost perfect, overcast, mid 60's and almost no wind. This was my second year at this race and I again planned on running the 1 mile race and the 5000 meters. They are the first and last individual races of the evening and it gives you time to cool off and warm up in between. Heather had signed up for the 1 mile and 3000, giving her only one race in between.

The turnout was similar to last year minus a few Philly Runner folks that were missed. Kevin Forde was there to defend his mile title and a few guys in their early 20's that looked like good competition or perhaps out of my league.

Last year I was disappointed with a 5:23 mile. I went out a little to slowly and couldn't catch up in the end. This year I planned a faster attack at the start and then try to hold on.

I was able to warm up with about 1.5 miles before the race and was loose and ready to go as we lined up. I took off at the start and was quickly in third place in a field of about 10 guys. I knew Kevin Forde was behind me so I let him pass me on the inside and dropped into 4th place on the first straightaway. I thought if I could keep myself within about 5-8 seconds of Kevin in the first lap I would be in good shape.

I came through lap one in in around 69 seconds, I didn't realize it at the time but that pace was completely over my head, somewhere in the neighborhood of a 4:40 mile. I found out after the race that Kevin had also gone through the first lap to quickly due to a rabbit up front who eventually finished in 4:29.

So the remaining three laps I just tried to keep pushing as hard as I could. I didn't split the laps and I am not sure of the times but I think it became a controlled slow down. I remained in third the entire time and didn't want to glance back, I knew Kevin G was back there somewhere and probably gaining due to my fast start and slowing pace, so I just kept running as hard as I could. In the final lap I felt like I gave a kick but at that point I don't think it was much. I finished in 5:12, 11 seconds faster than last year. I was pleased with my race this time around, it's amazing how much 11 seconds can change your outlook.

I think Heather ran a 6:08 in her mile and somewhere around 12:15 for the 3000. Both of which she was very happy with.

In the 5000 meters I didn't all out race, I used it as a tempo run. There were a few guys that were shooting for a 19:20, which was right in my tempo range so I told them I'd go out at that pace and try to keep it nice and even.

At the gun two other runners jumped into the lead and continued to pull away. I was in third along with 3 others. We were together for a couple laps at 6:15 pace. Two guys eventually started to fade and this left me and one other guy running consistent 90 sec laps for the next two miles or so.

I realized I'd be able to beat last years time of 19:00 if I just increased the pace a little and over the last three laps I did. I finished in 18:54 for third place. 6:05 pace, which is right at the bottom of my tempo range.

Afterwards there was food and even a few beers that went down well on the cool misty night. 7.5 miles.