From: SwStudio (shhhh_secrets@hotmail.com)
Subject: Race Report - Jordan 5k
Date: Sat, 13 Apr 2002 18:34:21 -0400

This was my first race of the summer season, and the first race of a six-race
points series that I hope to place well in. It's a flat and fast 5k in beautiful
wine country that I knew from doing last year.  I looked forward to it, and
wanted to open up with an aggressive time close to my PR of 17:09 from
last November. Maybe 17:10 - 17:15.


The weather was pretty good. It was raining steadily, but there was next to
no wind speed if at all, and it was rather warm, about 9C or so. I was a little
chilly on my 4k warm up, but warmed up as I reached the end and started
incoporating strides into my routine. I notice Joseph Nderitu, the winner
of ATB30k was there. I knew he would win, obviously - it was just by how
much!

About 300 people were entered, and once it started a LOT of people ran
ahead of me, although I was running under 5:30/mile. Lots of fast kids.

I relaxed among the small group I was running with. Alongside me appeared
a friend who ran with me for the first 16km or so of the Bay race. He's in his
early 50's, and a great runner. He crushed me by several minutes at ATB, but
I can get him in the 5k's. We ran together and reached the first km at 3:23.
This was about 3 - 4 seconds faster than my goal pace. I was pleased and felt
pretty good.

I tried to fully relax, and passed the first mile in 5:30 on the nose. I shortly
hit the 2km marker in 3:29 - a little slow, but acceptable as long as no more
were than slow!

Unfortunately, my early-season lack of raw speed reared it's ugly head, and
I couldn't really pick it up from there, until the last km. I ran the third km in
3:31, and had a small, brief side stitch in the fourth km, slowing me to 3:35.
There were still about 35 people in front of me, too! In such a s,all race, this
was distressing,  especially as it's a points series. However, it turned out the
next person in my age group trounced me by over a minute, so I should not
have worried!

I felt a little better (strangely) with about 800m to go, and thought I picked
it up, but in fact just held a 3:32 pace.Still, I passed several people near the
end. I finished in 17:32, which is so-so - not a disaster by any means, but I
was hoping to more or less pick up where I left off last fall when I peaked.

Still, I placed reasonably in my age group, and it's a solid start to the series.
Next key race is an 8k in 5 weeks, the 2nd race of this series. I'd like to run
it in the 28:00 - 28:10 range. Time to step up the speedwork!

Anyway, that's about it - thanks for reading!



--
David (in Hamilton, Ont)
"Consider the odds, consider the obvious
The martyr is meaningless, the campain has died
In the planning stages and the fallen faces
Are the singular proof that it was ever alive"
                               dashboard confessional
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