I set a personal record this weekend for a 5K time, breaking 25 minutes for the first time ever - and I mean, ever, like not in a single training run, not when I was a kid, not ever. So that was some pretty decent stuff. It was Sunday morning, at the South Brunswick Run for the Vikings 5K, from which proceeds go to the high school athletics department I think. Not exactly curing cancer, but hey, it's my home town and they have a nice high school. Turnout was a little lower than last year I think - we had 129 racers (correction: there were 129 males, but over 200 overall, a very good turnout), but the weather surprisingly cooperated after a week of frigid temperatures, with a bright and sunny day and only the wind to deal. The wind was a lot to deal with - I'll get to that, but all in all, it was an excellent race, well organized and planned and did I mention the breaking 25 minutes? Nice.
It was windy. Very windy. We're talking 30 mph gusts according to the Weather Channel report I watched while frightened that morning. But I think it helped actually. I wasn't at all trained up for the event. Not only had I just suffered through one of the most stressful and horrible weeks of my life (which hopefully has been corrected and we can all pretend that it never happened), but I hadn't even run in over a week and then I spent the night before at an Indian wedding where my stomach rejected just about all the food offerings, including what I was told was "chicken" and some tortilla chips that were doused in curry. The reception was beautiful - congrats Tushar and Mona - but it was definitely different, a lot more dancing, a lot more colorful clothing, and a lot more food selections that I couldn't pronounce without a tour guide, than at any wedding I'd been too. Apparently there was a horse involved earlier in the day, but I missed that part. I did have several jack-and-cokes, though, and was drinking all afternoon. So, no, I wasn't exactly prepared to have the race of my life.
But the wind was behind us at the start, and a 30-mph wind at your back certainly makes it easier to run. I could feel myself going fast, really fast, at the beginning, and I knew I couldn't keep it up. But I needed to relieve the aforementioned stress, I'd just downed a Dunkin' Donuts coffee to help me awaken in the morning, and the wind pressed me forward. I did the first mile in 7:50. I never do miles under 8 minutes.
The course was on familiar territory for me. My long runs this year, which I did once or twice a week all summer, were 4 miles, starting from my house, down New Road, across a new 1-mile bike path cut out in the woods to Stouts Lane, up Stouts past the high school, and then briefly through a development off Ridge Road, before following Ridge through Monmouth Junction back to New Road. The development off Ridge Road is the one we ran the race through, as shown on the diagram to the right (in red, my regular run is in yellow - not that anyone cares). It was mostly flat, tree-lined, and populated with cheering onlookers. Things were going well.
A guy in a Marine marathon T-shirt passed me. I was surprised that I was running ahead of someone who'd run a marathon and got another burst of energy (and perhaps a boost from a wind gust) and charged forward. I stayed with him as we passed a bunch of early speedsters who were fading fast and made it to the second mile mark. The time was, again, 7:50. I was stunned as I clicked my watch.
I was tired, definitely, but my legs were surprisingly spry, and I did the quick calculations in my head, realizing that all I needed was under 9:20 for the last 1.1 miles and I'd break 25. Even at my most exhausted I figured I could beat 9:20 for 1.1 miles. Then the wind smacked me in the face. For the entire rest of the race, we were against the wind, much of it uphill. I don't know how I even finished.
I tried to grab water at the last water station a little further up the road. I'd never grabbed water on any of my runs, but I felt like I needed it. Running into such an extreme headwind was like running straight into a wall, repeatedly, and continuing forward. My legs were pressing hard, I kept my head down low, the Syracuse hat I was wearing doing its best to block a little of the force. I almost choked as I tried to gulp at the water while still moving. I dropped the mostly full cup to the side of the road.
There was a guy up ahead, waving us to the right. I'd lost my bearings, I'd lost track of the Marine marathon guy, and I was running mostly by myself, lost in this development a couple miles from my house. I thought I wasn't going to make it. But the road he was turning us onto was First Avenue. And when I made the right I saw the high school in front of me. The finish line was a few hundred yards away. Holy shit!
I looked down at my watch, which showed something around 23 minutes. I kicked in some last burst of energy, passed about 3 different runners, crossed Stouts Lane, and cruised to the finish line, my lungs exploding, my legs shaking, my heart cracking, the wind still bearing down on my face. I finished at 24:46, absolutely destroying my previous best of 25:15 (set at the Dunellen 5K last month). I don't know how. I don't know why. But I'm happy right now. And that's all that really matters.
Here's the results. I came in 57th in the race overall, and 5th (out of 19!) in my age group, although 4th place was a good 4 minutes ahead of me so I wasn't really close to winning a prize for the age group (top 3 won a trophy). But it's all good, baby. And great job by the Run with the Vikings crew, who filled up a cafeteria room with sandwiches, bagels, bananas, sports drinks, and water for our post-race enjoyment, all donated by area establishments. Excellent work. Go Vikings! (I don't know what sports they're good in, but hopefully this little race helps them get new uniforms or something).
Good article. Of course we were there to see it, even if we almost missed your finish...go fiqure!
Congrats and glad one of your worst weeks is over.
Posted by: Mom & Dad | November 01, 2006 at 04:38 PM