Race Report: Elvis Presley 34th Annual 5K

RACE REPORT

Elvis Presley 34^th Annual 5K

DATE/TIME: 13AUG2016@ 0800

RACE COURSE Graceland

Total:3.1 miles

5K @ Goal 19  1M -06:20.4 (9.46 mph) No Rhythm  2M -06:28.0 (9.28 mph) Losing Time  3M -06:17.3 (9.54 mph) Out of Sync  Kick -00:36.8 (9.78 mph) Just Go  Total -19:42.5 (06:21.5/Pace) 9.44 mph

Narrative: - Tried to use the watch pacing function - Lots of undulations

Place

Gender

Age Group

Award

Official Time

Pace

Bib

15th of 1020

15th of 466

2nd of 58

Male Master: 3rd Place

19:41

6:21

449

HEART RATE MAX: 182/197 BPM

TEMP/WEATHER: 79°F Cloudy at 79% Humidity (6MPH S Wind)

Cadence 206Avg/236Max – Avg Stride length 1.24m

Intensity: 24.4 - Intensity Points (Daniels Training Table) on 51.1VDOT

MISCELLANEOUS:

Shoe

Nike 2014 5.0 Boston Blue 1

Attire

Nike 2inch shorts (no shirt), Seahawks socks

Timer

Garmin 225 Forerunner

Music

One Republic, Lady Gaga, La Roux, Macklemore (playlist 16m32sec)

Injury/Ailment

None.  Light headed

Day Before

Vegan Pasta dinner by Grace.  10mile morning run at 10min pace.  Did not run in evening, rested

Pre-Race

Awoke at 5:30.  Got rid of almost everything in stomach.  Ate one of my 2 granola bars and 18oz Mi0/Water.  Suited up. Arrived at 0700.  Ran warm 3.1mile up at 10min/pace, slow and gaining rhythm.  *Grace and my Mother ran the race too.  But, I stayed with my typical routine.

On the Line

Started in second row.  Annoyed at the strollers at the front.  They weren’t baby strollers, but handicaps.  Gun sounded and had to maneuver around the two in front of me.  Immediately my watch started going off because I set my first mile to 6:10-6:20.  I was 5:45 by the first left turn (200 yrds).  I backed it down getting to 6:20 which was a bit too much.

M1

Zucker showed and was ahead of me by a few yards.  I knew we shared around the same 5K times.  So I marked him.  From my prerace run, I knew there were a few undulations.  I got a water sip in at the 1M marker.  My watch beeped showing 6:20 for M1.

M2

Zucker and my other 40+ friend started to fade in the distance.  I was slowing.  I felt the humidity creeping up on me.  My shoes started the soggy clumping sounds (it wasn’t raining), they were soaked.  Before getting to the M2 marker, the combination of undulations and corners affected my rhythm.  I got to M2 reading 6:28.

M3

I calculated that it wasn’t going to be a sub 19 day.  But that I was on pace for a sub 20 time.  On the last long straightaway, I saw Zucker about 75yrds up.  I tried one lift, but noticed I wasn’t getting closer. I let negativity creep in.  Typically, I’d go for it especially at that distance.  But I felt like getting to sub20 was more important.  As he got to the right onto Elvis Presley Blvd, I either still at 75yrd or even losing ground to +100 yrds.  I caught a few stragglers.

Finish

The last straightway on Elvis Presley Blvd.  I got passed by what appeared to be a teen and two 20somethings.  I had no response for any of them.  I cared but all I could think was to get light and go.  I also thought of staying on their heels if that’s all I could muster.  I got to the finish at 19:41.  I was tired and so were my legs.  I was happy give what I did but knew I was nowhere close to where I wanted to be.

After

I went back on to the course to get a short cooldown and try to retrieve my wife and mom.  My mom was well on her way to the finish at 45min while I had to go back almost a mile to get Grace.  She finished at 55min.  It was a good cooldown. Proud of their efforts.  I took away a few thoughts.  Elvis wasn’t on my radar until the end of July.  The performance was on par.  I have to realize that I can’t PR every time I go out.  I just have to give my best and improve when I can.

Start.  Capt Paul Dinius (Navy Hat) eyeing me to accelerate past. 

Home Stretch

Masters Awards
Paul Dinius #1, Mark Zucker #2 (Middle), Me #3

Race Report: MRTC RRS 1st 5Miler

MRTC RRS 1st 5Miler

DATE/TIME: 7AUG2016@ 0700

RACE COURSE W.J.Freeman Park

Total: 5miles

(Goal 32Flat ) “Toed The Line” M1 - 06:33 (pace/ 9.17 mph ) Get on Pace  M2 - 06:37 (pace/ 9.06 mph ) Stay on Kid’s Heel  M3 - 06:30 (pace/ 9.23 mph ) Time to Hunt  M4 - 06:42 (pace/ 8.95 mph) Keep Attacking  M5 - 06:27 (pace/ 9.30 mph ) Lift, Light, Fight!  Total - 32:49  AVG - 0:06 (pace/ 9.14 mph )

Narrative: - Started near the front - Stayed patient - Got into a rhythm - Then went hunting. Started with Big Dogs again. Instead of targeting early, tried to get on pace then went hunting at M3. Only got 5 targets. Pushed hard on M5 for the last target. Didn’t have enough. Good Run

Place

Gender

Age Group

Award

Official Time

Pace

Bib

8th out of 1187

8th out of 526

2nd out of 93

Male Master: 3rd Place

32:48.34 (PR)

6:33

984

HEART RATE MAX: 185/202 BPM

Cadence 204Avg/223Max – Avg Stride length 1.20m

TEMP/WEATHER: 77°F at 100% Cloudy (3MPH N Wind)

Intensity: 24.4 - Intensity Points (Daniels Training Table) on 51.1VDOT

Shoe

Nike 2014 5.0 Boston Blue 1

Attire

Nike 2inch shorts (no shirt), Seahawks socks

Timer

Garmin 225 Forerunner

Music

One Republic, Lady Gaga, La Roux, Macklemore (playlist 16m32sec)

Injury/Ailment

Twinge right hamstring

Day Before

Scheduled for a Breakaway 9mile run.  But it was cancelled and ran the Overton 5Miler with Rouge instead.  Ran for fun, sweat and Used her pace (7:40).  Didn’t want to get anywhere near Sub7 for my sake and hers.  Ended up getting 5th in the Ladies gender.  Later that night, was going to make up the missed miles but decided to save up the miles for Sunday.  Get a bit more rest.

Pre-Race

Awoke at 4:30.  Got rid of almost everything in stomach.  Ate one of my 2 granola bars and 18oz Mi0/Water.  Suited up. Arrived at 0600.  Ran warm 2mile up at 8:52/pace, slow and gaining rhythm.

On the Line

“Toed the Line” with the “Big Dogs”.  Saw elite runners at the front.  Felt very more at ease than last time.  Lined up on inside edge.  Once the buzzer sounded, I took off conscious of staying at 6:20, but noticed my watch read 6:00 just 2minutes into the run.

M1

Even though I was at 6’s, I felt alright but intentionally backed down.  I wanted to chase early but didn’t bite.  I let the body flow and gain rhythm.  I concentrated on the tangents.  When the little hills came, I made it a point to lean (not bend).  On the down slopes, I increased foot speed to keep my feet off the ground.  I might have gone too easy because my watch read 6:33 which was way over what I wanted to be at.

M2

I didn’t panic but I tried to push which made me tighten up a bit.  I still tried to stay in rhythm and play with my pace.  Unfortunately, I went a bit slower to 6:37.

M3

Once I saw the 2nd Mile marker, I felt I needed to speed up and start the hunt.  I didn’t start hammering it.  I just raised up the heat.  There were 6 guys in front of me with a possibility to catch.  I took two down with a kind grin as I passed.  I thought I was going fast but I was only going 6:30s.

M4

4 guys left.  Body felt fine.  But my gut started to hurt, I was getting a bit hungry.  I was thinking of food.  I had a granola one, should have eaten the other one?  But, my second thought was that I was letting a negative creep into my psyche.  I was setting myself up for an excuse.  I shifted my mind to what was in front.  I picked off 2 more but as I saw their faces, I knew I did it because I was suffering just a bit less than they were.

Finish M5

Into the park, were two more possible targets.  A guy in his 20s and Zucker.  Once I passed the gate, I was on the 20s guy.  I passed his left hip pocket.  I gave him a “WE Got This!” pep-talk, then put on gas blasting past him.  Zucker’s yellow shirt was about 100yrd ahead.  Zucker seems to always beat me on his whole race consistency with his length and even running engine.  But he’s got a gangly gate and doesn’t turn over as fast as mine.  “I had a shot” I thought. As he rounded the baseball field, I thought of getting light as possible and turning my legs over faster.  But once I saw the last turn come, I knew I didn’t have enough course left to get him.  It was now about beating time.  I saw Kevin with his ice chest full of popsicles and thought, “Hmm, gotta go faster to get one of those before the crowd gets them”.  On the final push, the clock read 32:30.  Even though the sub32 goal was gone and Zucker was just about to cross, I thought of my time last year and realized it was over 33min.  Getting under 33 meant a PR, so I churned faster.

After

I crossed the line looking back at a 32:49.  I raised a finger not because I won, but because I PRd in spite of not making my goal, missing some pace marks, suffering heavy in the lungs, and not getting Zucker in the end.  In all I was proud of the effort.

It was a good race.  I didn’t piece together a great race.  It was nice to PR.  But I felt like left a bit on the course.  I felt that thinking of the hunger and heavy lungs creeping negativity into my mind.  So much more work needs to be done to control the suffering.  Still nice to know that I can line up and compete.