August in Arkansas is not exactly what I would consider to be ideal running conditions. Matter of fact, my rule of thumb is, if it’s 7 am then you have waited too late to go run! So when you plan to race in August, one thing you can almost always count on is heat and humidity. This past Saturday did not disappoint.
Saturday also marked 8 weeks since I started running consistently again and I had three weeks of speed work under my belt. I created two conservative race plans based off my performance in last week’s White River 4 Mile Classic. Both plans called for a slower start with progressively faster mile splits. Plan A would have me finishing in 23:20 and Plan B in 23:35. Last year I ran a 23:30 with embarrassingly positive splits.
I wanted to leave my house between 4:45- 4:55 am to make the drive to Hope, AR. I thought I was fully prepared, but as I was backing out, I remembered I needed to get an ice chest with wheels. All participants get a free watermelon and I kid you not they are around 50 lbs. Last year I was so tired I couldn’t carry it and ended up having to leave it with someone and go get my car to pick it up!
Getting an ice chest out of the extra garage turned out to be an event all its own! I pulled one down on top of me and bruised my hand, only to discover it had a handle but not wheels! (We probably own 10 ice chests…this shouldn’t have been hard!) Once I got one loaded and was about to get into the car I realized not only did I not have my sunglasses, but I was still wearing my prescription glasses. Another sprint into the house to retrieve both sunglasses and contacts and I was finally on the road. I made it with 25 minutes to spare!
When I got to the race, I realized the humidity was 100%. I ran less than a half mile warm up so I could keep cool. I also scrapped my race plans. New goal: No crappy third mile! I’m serious! With the weather like it was, that was a big challenge.
Here is how I rationalized my new race strategy. I had skipped my tempo run on Thursday in order to be fresh for the race. Now I would do a variation of my tempo run instead of race. My new plan was to run an 8 minute pace for the first two miles and then try to push the pace down in the final mile to whatever I had left, hopefully a 7:40-7:45.
Most of the first mile was spent trying to get comfortable. I went through the first mile in 7:54. A man darted passed me and I noticed the others around me fading, so I made a decision to go with him since my own pace had dropped to 8:15. I’m glad I did. We caught up and passed several groups of people. Eventually he faded but I maintained my pace. Mile two was a 7:55. Now time to get to work.
I pushed hard. Unlike the first mile where I had felt out of sorts and awkward, I now felt comfortable and in a good rhythm. Not that it was easy by any means, I just felt more in my groove. I was passing a lot of runners. A few glances at my watch and I was surprised to see my pace between 7:30-7:40! This really motivated me to to keep pushing and not let up. Mile three was a 7:37!
The final 0.10 was hard. Normally I have a pretty good kick. My quads felt like they were 300 lbs each! They just would not turnover any faster. My Garmin had me at a 6:52 pace for a final 0:54 seconds. My final chip time as 24:20, a 7:51 pace. I was the 33rd female finisher and won 3rd place in the Grand Masters division. Results can be found here. I also won a pair of running shoes in the door prize drawing! Woo hoo! Hardware, shoes and a watermelon = a great morning!
The third mile of a 5K has always been a challenge for me. I am extremely pleased with this race. I wanted an opportunity to practice patience in the first mile, maintaining in the second, and finishing strong in the final mile. I did exactly what I set out to do and that for me is a win!
Have you had a race where you run according to your plan? Or won a pair of shoes? Let’s talk about it! Leave me a comment below!
