Clean Air 5K

This is possibly the furthest I've fallen behind on posting since I started this blog a couple years back. I also haven't been keeping up with my run-log. I realized how badly I was behind when I tried to log in this morning's race found I couldn't recall all the runs I had done over the last 10 days. Was that an 8 miler or 6 miler? Was Heather there?

The goal half-marathon kind of fell apart this spring and since that I just haven't been as... anal about running. I have definitely been getting out there but just not worrying about how fast, far and intensely I am running. This has translated into many 1 hour runs over the past couple weeks at whatever pace I am comfortable at, usually to fast to be called easy and to easy to be called hard.

I've also been out on my mountain bike a couple times and it is awesome. I kill myself on the uphills and fly on the downhills. Hitting jumps, stumps and keeping things just in control. My lungs hurt after ride on Thursday. That just doesn't happens on runs very often, somehow it is a different burn.

I think things may be like this for a while. Anywhere between 30-50 miles a week with a bike ride or two thrown in. Less structured, no stress running.

For second week in a row I signed up last second for a 5K. This time around it was the Race for Clean air on MLK. Chip timed, over 1000 runners, and what seems like perpetually good weather, a great race to really get into the spring season and perfectly placed two weeks before Broad Street. This was my third time running. The first in 19:01 in 2005 and the second in 18:21 in 2006. Both of these times are suspect due to a short course. It was discovered last year that the course was only a 4.9K. I think my times in 2005 and 6 were both run on that short course.

This year was a new certified course that was actually 5K. I thought I was in shape to run under 18:00 but I had a few harder runs last week along with a hard 90 minute bike ride on Thursday so I didn't feel 100%. I lined up next to Ryan and a couple other Philly Runners. The start is slightly downhill and light wind would be at our backs so I planned to go out fast and try to hold the rest of the way.

First mile went by in 5:31, just about where I wanted to be. There was large pack in front of me but I wasn't going to catch them so I just kept pushing and tried not lose any ground. Hit the turn around and then mile 2 in 5:48. About where I thought I would be but I was hoping for a little faster. At this point I know I am in the realm of my 17:43 PR, if the last mile goes well I could maybe perhaps have an outside chance.

It was not to be. A controlled slow down was what I expected at the start and it's what happened in the end. Mile 3 in 5:59. I was passed by two guys in the last mile which is always frustrating but they passed smartly, at a good clip and I couldn't answer. Finished in 17:56, good for 14th place. Didn't PR but I was still very happy with the race. It was only my second time under 18 minutes and it means that I am in good shape for Broad Street on May 4th. Beating my PR there of 59:41 seems very out of reach right now but it always seems that way at Broad Street.