Hit the Brixx Recap

Time: 97:19
Distance: 16:16
10k Place: 1st, 32:55
5k Place: 1st, 15:51

W/u: 26:12 for 3.82 miles
Race: 10k
C/d: 22:21 for 3.04
Race: 5k

I had little interest in pushing the pace this morning and testing my fitness. Instead I wanted to see where my overall endurance and stomach strength was at with some thoughts of running a fall marathon (more on that maybe later). Last week I was texting with my good buddy Pat Tarpy who ran a 12 mile warm up, 10k race and 2 mile cool down. He said it was a good workout and the beer garden forced him to take a few extra minutes in the parking lot so he could make it home safely. I wanted to mimic his effort a bit in all regards, but didn't show up to the race early enough. Cory and I parked at Caitlin's house thinking it was closer than the half mile walk to the start line. When I had all my stuff, I only had enough time to put in just over 25 minutes. I did, however, run a bit harder on the warm up than I normally do.

I changed shoes and headed over to the start line, ignoring the need to do strides or stretch. I wanted to run in a group setting today and see how I felt with bodies around. Paul, Jay, BMac, Chris and some dude (Brett) and I all ran together through the first mile in about 5:15. The opening mile is mostly downhill so it felt like we were crawling. I loved it. I wanted to keep the group together but someone (ahem, ahem, Chris) pushed the pace. Pay no mind that he wasn't registered or really racing. Brett, Chris and I ran through the second mile and were working together nicely.

Around 11 minutes Chris backed off and it was up to Brett and I to shadowbox the rest of the race. I had him do some of the work up front, but there weren't any big challenges be thrown in. I didn't feel great just after the 5k mark and started having doubts about myself and just a few minutes later I could tell Brett was tiring. I think he was just off the pace at 4 miles and then I started going to work. I tried to stretch the lead over the next 5 minutes of running, putting in little surges to get away on the downhills. I wanted to build up a lead so I wouldn't have to race the final hill back to the finish.

I was pleased with my mile from 5 to 6 that clocked 5:18. I expected to see something closer to 5:25 so to run that pace as comfortable as I was means something. I brought the 10k title home in a few tics under 33 minutes despite the clocking reading 33+.

10k Splits:
5:15, 5:20 (10:35), 5:14 (15:50), 5:21 (21:11), 5:14 (26:26), 5:18 (31:44), 1:11 for 32:55 total.

After the race I grabbed my water and ran three miles through Uptown. There was some other event going on that looked very similar to a race but clearly wasn't. The music was pumping, people were dancing while wearing brightly colored shirts that certainly supported some cause. I never did find out what it was before I looped back despite trying. I probably should have asked someone.

I took a CarbBOOM! about 20 minutes out from the 5k and rested for a couple of minutes. My goal in the 5k was to run with the leaders for as long as possible and see what happens.

The race was taken out really hard by some high school kid through the opening 800m. He raced down the hill like it were a mile race. Brad Orr who ran at Winthrop was in pursuit with me a few strides back. We split the mile much faster than I was expecting to need to run. I kept chasing Brad about 10 meters behind and just wanted to keep contact. Around 8 minutes into the race, I was right off his shoulder and a minute later I was pulling away. Like in the 10k, I pressed the effort before the hill so I wouldn't have to race up it stride for stride with someone else.

I crested the top, took a peak behind and saw the win was mine. I brought things home strong for a time under 16 minutes.

Splits:
4:53, 5:11 (10:05), 5:15 (15:20), :32 for 15:52 total.

I didn't cool down after the 5k and instead accepted my 10k award which was a gift certificate and mini beer pitcher (oxymoron?). I had the "beer maid" fill me up with the Blonde stuff and my party was started early.

So what does this mean for later in the fall? For starters, 33 minutes for 10k extrapolated out over the marathon distance is about 2:19. Could I run 33 minute, 16:30, 5:18 pace for 26.2 miles. Probably not. Definitely not. At least right now. However, I will say that I felt relaxed running that effort in the 10k and almost felt even better running harder in the 5k. I know utilizing fuel over the marathon distance is an integral part of racing well and I think my body is able to burn calories efficiently. Despite not being in a marathon specific training phase, I think with 6 weeks of more specific training and race, I would be able to run a time I could be proud of.

Now the question is why? Why run a marathon that I haven't trained for specifically and where. I'll answer why with the fact that I'm healthy and have put together several months of solid training. I've put in two big marathon cycles before and got injured both times forcing me to reschedule the race. Where is another good question. I don't know if OBX is too early, I'm not sure about traveling to Philly after The Running Event and Karhu North America sales meeting and I don't think there is much of an incentive to run the Thunder Road Marathon again. However, the pros of each are: money at OBX, friends at Philly, and staying local for Thunder Road.