I survived my first 5K in 3 years without any further injury to my knees, which is the most important thing. But inexplicably, I finished nearly 2 minutes faster than my fastest training run and finished 2 seconds from 1st place in my age group. A guy that finished just ahead of me was the top male performer 35-39, so I finished in 2nd and received an actual real-live medal, certainly the first award I've ever won for running and the first award I've won for anything athletic since high school. So yeah, that was definitely a major surprise.
My official time was 26:42, which believe me, is nothing impressive -- the race winner had a 15:47 (I was 10 minutes slower) and the top finisher in the 14-and-under girls competition had me beat. So I was slow, real slow, but considering all my injuries and surgeries and failed recoveries on my knees, I didn't fare too bad. In fact, I think I might have had a little left in the tank at the end. I was dying -- definitely dying -- down the closing stretch, but I didn't feel quite as bad as I've felt on many previous runs, so I could have probably gone a little faster. My first mile was 8:32, which was right on pace with the time I'd recorded last Wednesday on my best training run this year, but I felt fine, I felt good, and my left knee felt especially spry, so I tried to pick up the pace. I passed two guys who were around my age, probably a little older, and I was feeling good. But I think my burst of energy faded fairly quickly and they passed right back by me. I tried to stay with them, and managed to remain about 10 paces behind for the rest of the race, but their pace was pretty hard on me between 1.5 and 2.5 miles, and I felt myself struggling. But there were a lot of slowing runners ahead of me, and passing them is a wonderful feeling, each pass giving me an extra burst of energy, so by the time I got around the final turn to the straightaway finish, I had enough left to kick into a full-out sprint. Unfortunately, my full-out sprint on a damaged left knee, a sore ankle, and a sore right knee, wasn't fast enough to pass too many people, but I knew I was running a great time -- I'd done another 8:30 for the second mile -- and I finished on an 8:36 minute pace, nothing to write home about for any normal runner, but something to be excited about for me. And I realized how much I missed running 5Ks. Now I want to run the early November one in my hometown, and I'm hoping that my upcoming knee surgery doesn't interfere with that (I haven't set a date yet). Because I'd love to try to get under 26 minutes. I think it's doable.
A few more things: (1) Although I inexplicably won a medal for my race, this was due to a mere numbers game within that age group -- there were only three of us, the overall race winner, the guy who finished 2 seconds ahead of me, and me. So even if I finished 10 minutes later, I still would have medaled. woo hoo! The full standings can be seen here. This was actually the worst time I've ever had for a 5K (my best remains 24:46), but after a 3-year layoff I have to be happy. (2) The Dunellen Run for Education Foundation did its usual wonderful job staging the race. Great course, great refreshments, great support along the route, great weather -- you really can't ask for anything more. I sure hope that they raised a lot of money for the foundation, which I'm assuming is doing something good for the students of Dunellen. (3) And finally, because I can't possibly be positive during an entire post, what the fuck is up with my luck with my iPods? When I run, I use my little iPod shuffle, that I have loaded with 50 "workout" songs -- fast moving, somewhat inspirational tracks that keep me pushing forward during a run. These songs vary at times, but generally have been the same all summer. And my favorite song to run to is Holy Fuck's instrumental track "Lovely Allen," with its driving, pulsating beat that crests to a wonderful climax a couple minutes in that you can't help but get inspired by. So, in preparation for the 5K, I literally loaded 10 copies of the song into the Shuffle, so that it would definitely show up during my 26-minute run, preferably toward the end when I was gasping for air and needing an extra burst of energy. And, of course, Holy Fuck never fucking spun their song into my ears during the entire run, even though I hit fast-forward about a half dozen times as I rounded the corner to the final straightaway, slowing down just to try to get the song to play. But nothing. I ended up finishing to Asobi Seksu's "Transparence," a great song, don't get me wrong, but no "Lovely Allen." Luckily my anger at my poor luck with the Shuffle did as much to propel me forward as the song would have likely done. Holy fuck.
Congrats on the medal regardless of circumstance, haha. I just thought I would throw in one of my favorite running/workout songs: "Bees Bein' Strugglin'" by The Octopus Project. Doesn't quite beat "Lovely Allen" for the cause but it will get you going too.
Posted by: Kelly | September 28, 2009 at 04:58 PM
I love that song, and I just checked and inexplicably do not have any Octopus Project songs on my workout mix. That needs to be rectified.
Posted by: Bill | September 28, 2009 at 08:13 PM