5K Race

I had to get up early to collect my daughter from a sleep-over and deliver her to the station so she could go off on her Duke of Edinburgh trip.  As I was up, I cycled over to Wimbledon Park to run the Park Run 5K.

I find these 5K races fun but incredibly painful.  I can't just jog them and end up going balls-out for the entire run.  I don't find it fun running on the edge for 3 miles.

Also, it feels so hard whilst running but as you recover within 2 or 3 minutes of finishing, it never feels like you have given your all.  With a marathon, you know you have done something incredibly hard but with a 5K, I always have the feeling that I could and should have gone harder.

I had decided to try and get my PB and get under the 22 minute mark.  I know I can do it and it really annoys me that I never have.  I set off quickly and got with four or five others all going hard.  I instantly felt on the edge and having to concentrate so hard to keep the pace up.  I heard my watch bleep and looked down to see 6-something at the 1 mile mark; sub 7 minutes so on target.

At half way there was a bloke reading out times and I went by in 10:45 so really on track.  11:14 to do the second half.  But it was really starting to hurt and my legs felt like jelly.  I lost touch with the group and felt I was going nowhere.  As I got closer to the end, I knew I had a slim chance of getting under 22 so I tried to push on but there was nothing left in the tank.  I cross the line in 22:28.  I'll be back in 2 weeks time to try again.

Distance: 5K
Time: 22:28
Average HR: 176 (zone 4.4)
Position: 59th out of 178
Cadance: 85