The Jay Lyons 5k...an old friend revisited...

The Jay Lyons 5k in Worcester MA has a special place in my heart because its the race that started (or restarted) it all for me when it comes to training/racing. This is the "goal" 5k that J set for herself  back in '09 when she got back in the swing of training and wanted me to help (which subsequently got me back into training) and it was my "season opener" race for 2 years running before it conflicted with my 2010 Boston marathon training and I had to skip a year...

I know the course pretty well, and because of the lessons learned from the last couple races I headed to the front. I never cease to amaze myself with the conversations I have in my head at the start of any race (i.e. What am I doing here? Why didn't I just stay home? Am I even fast enough to race? I wonder how I'll run today? Am I wearing the right clothes?, Am I too hot or too cold? How does the current political situation and economy effect the value of my house?...well, you get the picture). What normally happens is that while I'm deep in thought the gun goes off so why would this race be any different?!

Now, the start is a slight uphill to the first right, so I try to make my way to the group of leaders (there were just under 900 runners at the race and even though I tried to get forward before the start, I was still back) and try to get into a settled pace. Sadly, I realized that my GPS wasn't working and there weren't mile markers so I'd just try to estimate and stay with the leaders. On a side note...REALLY?! Dear race organizers, how hard is out to put out three 3x4ft signs with 1,2 and 3miles written on them?! Since you have police support, why don't you just ask for one of their barriers and tape the signs to them?! I mean I get it if this is your first year of the race but when you're in your second year and on this is just common sense! Now back to the recap.

I'll be the first to tell you that I have a terrible time managing pace (I mean have you read this blog?) so I focus on maintaining a level of effort that's just below "see everything that I ate for breakfast on the sidewalk"...especially for a 5k. We continue, then right to a slight down hill and then straight shot before the right- hill-right into the finish. I felt okay. Without pace I don't know for sure if I was maintaining a good pace but I kept picking up people before the hill....and then the hill came. Look, I LOVE hills on a bike...but I dread them on the run. Throw in that Worcester is known as the "City of Seven Hills" and you get an idea of my unhappiness. Now I know that the hill was gonna make people pop. It comes at about the 2 1/2 mile mark and stretches for about half a mile. I knew that if I hit it with a good pace and leaned into it I should be able to pick off a few more runners..which I did...but I paid for it at the top. I was gassed for the push to the finish. When I hit the final right turn I knew it was a slight downhill to the end and I tried to give it all I had. I crossed the finish line in 20:42 which was 10 secs slower then my time 2 years ago and in 33rd overall, 5th in my new age group (last year I was 15th overall and fifth in my age group). Not bad, not great. Its my fastest 5k this season but I had hoped that with resting the day before my legs would be faster. I really didn't feel like I had anything left in the tank at the finish and it was the third weekend in a row of racing but you know me...I think every race should be a PR and/or an age group top three. I think its time to focus on some speed/hills work and skip a weekend of racing. Now where'd I'd put the brochure for that Ultra...