The Celtic 5k...sadly I got no luck of the Irish

So, yes I'm still getting back up to speed "literally and figuratively" from the doctor prescribed time off due to the knee sprain. And by the looks of last month's 13.1 and my ruining times of late it seems like I'm about a month behind where I wanted to be. However, I really like this Celtic 5k run in downtown Worcester MA and I registered for it months ago...so...why not take the knee out for a spin and see how I do with some straight up speed?

Rather than recap the race all over again, you can read about it here from my running of last year's event. Bottom line, the course is a relatively flat out and back, with TONS of spectators and its supported very well. And...it draws a lot of racers. Yes, not runners, racers. So you can expect the times for the top 25 will be around 5min/mile mark. I ran my 5k PR (19:54) there last year and came in 63rd overall out of 1426. Not bad for an old guy :)

This year however...I had no such visions of grandeur.  This year was all about seeing how hard could push the knee, gauge my fitness and not embarrass myself with a crap time (a crap time for me mind you. Read my post on race times to see what I mean).

Luckily, it was a nice cool morning as I lined up at the start. The gun goes and I'm off. My initial plan was to run what would feel like a "pushed" pace. Not flat out but nowhere near comfortable until I hit the first mile marker. Now, last year I turned the first mile at 5:55 and thought I had LOTS of gas left.....this year I hit it at 6:30 and realized there was NO way I could maintain that pace! So, quick plan of try to keep pushing until I hit the turn and see how I felt for the push to the finish. Now, I REALLY love out and back races. Firstly, because of my competitive nature and ADD, I can count how many people are in front of me and get a sense of where I am in the field. By my count heading into the turn today I was somewhere in the mid 70s, not bad considering there were over 1900 at the race. Secondly, because I like getting to see the other people racing and give thumbs up to friends I have in the race and it motivates me to push harder to the finish.

The race while being relatively flat does have a slight uphill the last mile plus. Not a big one but just enough to take the speed off. I could see people slowing and knew I needed to dig in. I hit mile 2 at 13:20 and realized I was fading fast but the knee felt great. I figured I might as well lean into it and push for the finish. Crossed the line in 20:53 and 77th overall. A full minute off last years pace and 14 places deeper than last year. Yes, I know that it was still a good race. The knee felt great and I the time wasn't bad...but...as that picture can attest...I wasn't happy with the result. Well, back to training, speed work and time to get back to racing.

Winter Classis 5k...where I was classic me...

Year two of running the Winter Classic 5k in Cambridge but I really like this course. Its a pretty flat out and back loop. I don't know why I'm such a fan of doubling back (ONLY for 5ks of course) but I really like seeing more runners. I play the head game that they'll never catch me and I turn up the pace.

So, after finding and acutal parking space on a side street (who's not paying $20 for parking for 2 hours in downtown Cambridge? THIS guy!), J and I headed to packet pick up. Now one of the cool things about this race last year was that on top of getting a race shirt you also were also randomly chosen to either win a cool embroidered head warmer...or...in the spirit of the season...a piece of coal. I thought that was hilarious! I of course got the head warmer last year and J got coal which I found to be even MORE funny but no such merriment this year. It seems that people were offended by getting coal last year and the race stopped doing it. Really peope? I mean REALLY?! Geez, lighten up a bit!

I did finally meet twitter friend Danielle. A wicked cool, chick totally deck out in her best Christmas apparel for the race (see pic below) and we milled around the start. Ah yes, the start. I told myself that I had no intentions of "racing" today or setting a PR but as race time got closer I found myself magically pulled toward the front and calculating pace times in my head (classic me). And while I was crunching numbers I heard the gun go off. Now I've been trying a different approach to racing the last few races. Rather than get so fixed on the pace on my Polar RCX5G5, I'd just hang with the "lead" group of the race and try to settle in. I read an article a few months ago that one of the reason Ryan Hall was having an issue at races was his watch said he was going too fast so he would layoff and then eventually not be able to bridge the gap back to the leaders. Yes, I k,ow I'm NO Ryan hall but it does make sense. Your body performs differently on race day and if you can hold a pace, you should. Don't let your mind work against you.

We went out at a good pace. And by "we" I mean the 2nd lead group after the gazelles that take off at a 5k. We hit the 1st mile marker on a 6:20 pace. Not fast but not slow either. Now 5ks are an interesting race. Or at least to me they are. Unlike a 10k or greater distance, there's no "blowing up" on a 5k, just run as fast as you can and then at the halfway point or or 3 mile marker, turn on the jets. Well, due to my extreme concentration...or whatever...I totally missed seeing the 1 mile marker. As we hit the turn, I knew that we were moving pretty fast but we're headed home so I needed to turn up the speed. Now I also had motivation to continue pressing the pace. This tiny (like sub 5 foot) girl with a gymnast's build was right on my shoulder the whole way. Now, I don't like having ANYONE on my shoulder for a race but I dislike it even more when its a cute little girl who looked to be in her mid 20's there. There's no way she's getting by me so I need to step it up. I will say I took great pride in passing people wearing local runner's club kit. They looked like runners and here this broken old guy was passing them (insert smile here).

The crew post race

We hit the 2nd mile marker and I was a little tired but there's only 1.2 miles left so I need to get my butt in gear. I leaned forward, started to pump my arms and frantically pushed to get separation from the gymnast girl. There's a right hand turn into the finish with a cop car, lights flashing to mark the turn. When I saw it from about a 1/4 mile away I just gave it all I had. As I made the turn I could see the clock. It was in the high 19's. Are you kidding me?! My 5k PR is 19:54! For a race that I wasn't "racing" I was close to my PR?! Running I did some math (which if you know me you know tapped all of my mental reserves) and realized even running wide open at this point I'd finish around a 20 flat. Damnit!

Sure enough I crossed the line with 20:08...14 seconds off my PR. Yes, I know its still a good time, but to know I was that close while still feeling "good" during a race is a little frustrating. Good take away was that my pace was constant between 6:20-6:25 throughout the race. Unlike the 5k PR race I had where I went out at a 5:45 first mile and spent the rest of the race trying to hold on. That race was a year ago and here I am a year later (and older) and I came close to that time with little train up. I also knocked 90 seconds off my time from last year's race on the same course. So not bad and good learning points, so much for not "racing it". Luckily I could drown my thoughts in a GREAT post race breakfast at Friendly Toast afterwards...

The Worcester Celtic Pride 5K. Ya, I focused on the big picture but it all got fuzzy.

I am still short the goal money I needed to raise for my Boston Marathon run for charity. I'd appreciate any and all contributions. No amount is too small. If you are so inclined/motivated to donate just hit the button at the top right of my blog and thank you in advance.

Yes I was in the middle of marathon training but if I go for more than a couple weeks without racing I go crazy. So, I figured why not squeeze in an easy 5k? Its not much race mileage, should be fun and I'd still be able to go out and do the 13 mile training run I had on the schedule. Now the Celtic 5k is one of a 3 part 5k racing series that takes place in MA and RI. I considered racing all 3 to see how I'd fair but decided to just go with race in Worcester since it's so close to my house. The race happened only a few hours before the Worcester St. Patty's Day parade so there was a TON of people out to offer support while they were setting up in their spots to watch the parade. And, since it was pretty much the only race going on in the area that weekend and it was a "series" race, there was a A LOT of people racing. Notice I didn't say running. Yes, when you go to any race the participants are broken down into 2 classes: people "running" and people "racing". And now a public service announcement from me: As an FYI, the "racers" are normally adorned in local running club attire or sporting their marathon of choice clothing. Being in Massachusetts means "racers" are normally wearing BAA or any of 3 or 4 high end running club's gear or Boston "qualifier" clothing. They normally look like little gazelles and are warming up and stretching frantically before the start. If you see these people, they are taking this race seriously and are hoping for a placing or top ten finish. And now back to the recap. All that contributed to a "mini-Boston" kind of feel that was kind of cool (although after running Boston it wasn't even 5% of what I would experience at the Mara).

There were quite a few things this race had going for it (at least for me): First off it was on a chilly morning. Yes, I consider myself a Southern boy but I don't run well in the heat anymore. The cooler, the better. Second, it was an out and back course. I LOVE out and back courses. Yes, the turn might suck a little but it helps me gauge pace going out and coming back and if I can see the finish it motivates me to stay fast throughout instead of living off mileage markers to know where I am in the race. Lastly, it was flat...I mean damn near pancake flat! The race had expected pace corrals also set up and asked people to self seed. So, even though I knew I wasn't supposed to go all out I figured I'd move my way toward the front and see how I'd fare. The race starts and I'm off. I went out a little too fast (see the trend here...). And by fast I mean fast! I hit the 1st mile in 5:55 without even realizing it (and I was only in the top 50 with that time). Part if me was excited (come on, who doesn't want to be speedy?!) and part of me got concerned. I did have a 13 mile run on the schedule today after all (that longer mileage after and all out race is gonna suck).

So, I laid off the gas... or so I thought. The turn was hairpin, so a little precarious, and we were back on our way to the finish. I hit the 2nd mile marker...at 12:30. So much for laying off the gas. I was surprised actually. I felt good, I wasn't winded, nor hanging off for dear life which is my usual race regimen. It struck me that I could grab a PR. That elusive animal all we runners chase. I set a 19:54 at the 5k distance a year earlier (yes I have run a 19:30 but I was 20 at the time so that does not count now at my advanced age, with a broken body and over a decade layoff from racing) and I realized that I could beat it. Talk about a devil and angel sitting on your shoulders! In the span of about 30 seconds I ran through every discussion in my head. Should I turn on the gas and try for the PR? Should I lay off the gas since the focus of the winter was training for Boston and just finish? Or...should I stay at my current pace and just see how I fare? In the end I settled with Boston being the ONLY thing I should be focusing on and laid off the gas...finishing in 19:54 which put me 63rd out of 1426. Are you f'ing kidding me?! 19:54 and I laid off the gas? Sonuva!!! Yes, I know that I wasn't supposed to be "racing" the 5k but like I ever show up for a race to run "just for training" or "just for fun" even.Yes I know that there was a bigger picture but I am me after all. I could've smashed a PR. You know as a runner, when yo get fast, bating a PR by even 15 seconds is a big deal. We're talking I could've cut a minute, even 90 seconds off my PR. Ugh!

Think I could just get over it and move on? Why no, what do you think I got to ponder the whole time during the aforementioned 13 mile training run? Yup...welcome to being me. Note to self: if you have a chance to set a PR you'd better do it no matter what. If not...it will sit somewhere in that 90% of your brain you don't use and pop up at the most inopportune times...