After Modesto I decided to test this idea and train for a 5k. I signed up for a race in June that gave me the most time to train before race day. I also signed up for a race in May just because a friend was running it. My goal was to best 25minutes. I had never done that before, but had run a 25:09 during the Modesto Half. It should be easy to beat 25 minutes, right?
I didn't have any training plans for a 5k, so I picked up a couple of books.
Both had 5k training plans. I picked up the one on the left because, well, I want to run faster, duh! I picked the "Run Less, Run Faster" because I like novel approaches to pretty much anything! I actually like running, don't consider myself particularly prone to injury (where is some wood to knock on), and this book seems to be for people not in the "I don't like running" or "I get hurt a lot running" categories. I read it and came away with the same conclusion as the no-meat-athlete. However, the book sort of required a 5k time in order to figure out training paces. I could use the 25:09, but I thought since I ran that during a half-marathon, that I should be able to do a lot better than that.
Brad's book brought one important element into my training - hill sprints. The only problem is that there are no hills near to where I live. I turned to my trusty treadmill. I'm now up to 8 x 8 second hill repeats at 9.2 mile per hour, and an 8% incline. I decided to build this into my Friday workout, and move my tempo training to Sunday at the beginning of my Long Run. This seems so natural to me, and it seems to be what I was gravitating to for the last year or so. I just don't like slower paced long runs. They are too boring, and after a warm up I'm ready to start trying to find my race pace. Interestingly, the Run Less book also leans towards a faster long run.
Then on April 30th, during a tempo run on Sunday:
And so I peaked early.
During the May 5k I was running with colleagues and friends. I wasn't really ready to compete hard, or run in the now much warmer temperature. I managed a 26:09, not even half-marathon pace. I didn't even much taper my running the week before the race. I did hill sprints and interval training. The day before the race I only did 3 miles, but it included 3x 100 yard dashes at maximum pace, perhaps not the smartest way to prepare for a PR. Of course there was also that moment were me and about a dozen runners got briefly lost during the race. That may have added to my time.
Yesterday I ran the San Jose Giants' run (5k not 5 mile option) and ran a 25:01. This time I rested properly, but made a tactical error during the run. I tried for negative splits, saw my second mile at 8:15 and figured I had no way to hit a PR. However, I reached mile 3 just when I heard the announcer say we were just hitting the 24 minute mark. It just didn't register. I know I could have sprinted that last ~160 yards in under a minute, but I waited until I could see the finish line, barely 30 yards away as I turned the final corner. I probably could have PR'd, but no biggy. I finished 3rd in my age group and even a PR would not have netted me 2nd as the next guy in my age bracket was running a wicked 7:22!
On a positive note, my Garmin register a 4:30 as I came into the finish. That is uncharted water for me.
In a week I go on vacation. I will try to run when I can, hopefully at least every other day. I will do some speed play to keep sharp. We will be on the Northwest coast mostly, so it should be relatively cool. I do enjoy running when I travel. When I get back, the plan is to begin training for the Merced Half-Marathon using a combination of Hansen's method and Brad's hill sprinting. I think the hill sprinting is what made the 4:30 possible.
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