I finally got around to running an "anniversary" 5K today and I think
I did pretty good.
I'm confused about my real time, however. There was no chip for this.
It took me 12 seconds just to cross the start line. And my ipod, which
I'm fairly certain is correctly calibrated now (I calibrated it on a
track a few weeks back), said the race course was 3.2 miles, not 3.1
miles, long.
Official clock time: 32:35
Subtract 12 seconds: 32:23
Ipod time at 3.1 miles: 31:17
Here's how it compares to my last two 5K's, which I just went and
looked up again in coolrunning:
October 2006 (with no training at all, and 20 lbs heavier): 37:59
March 2007 (with training, and 10 lbs heavier): 33:58
Weather-wise, this race was quite comparable to the Oct 2006 race,
except not as windy. And it was about 20 degrees warmer than the March
race. I ran it on an empty stomach, since I'd woken up last night with
a bad bout of heartburn, I wasn't going to chance eating.
Despite all the problems and setbacks I've been having with my health
issues in recent weeks, I'm very happy with the time, and my progress
over the past year. I felt I ran a nearly perfect race today. The only
thing I might've done differently is warm up a little more - for the
first 1/2 mile, my leg muscles were very cold. But once I warmed up, I
managed to keep a fairly consistent pace and after the halfway mark I
passed about 20 people.
I didn't hold anything back either - I ran as hard as I could,
figuring if I was going to black out or have any sort of cardiac
problem, better to do it during a race with ambulances around. :-)
And all the hill running practice was definetly a benefit, as I
managed to keep in control on the downhills and use them to my
benefit. Not that there were that many hills... it was mostly a flat
course.
While I sure would've liked to break 30 minutes, I am happy to say I
ran the very best possible race I could today!
jen