At least someone had fun at the St Patty’s day 5km because I sure didn’t. This race came at the end of a 3 week build up and I felt flat the entire race. I was never up with the leaders and I was chasing the entire time with dead legs. I was at that point only in my altitude tent for a week so that may have also not helped but it is early in the season and training is what is important right now.
I took a really easy week leading up to the Spring run off 8km in Vancouver. I had two workouts the week of and both went well. I was on the track for some 800’s on Tuesday that went well pace wise but I didn’t feel right during the workout. Then I had a workout on my own on Thursday on the fort to fort trail, 15 minute tempo, 4 minute jog, 6x1minute on/off and jog home, 12 miles total. I felt good during this workout and I like running workouts like this, out on the trail with no real defined loop or distance goal, just running off effort.
With a big reduction in mileage this week and taking a day off from the altitude tent the day before the race I felt pretty good race morning. It was a good day for a race around the seawall, sunny and warm. I went out with the leaders but fell behind a bit after the 1km mark. I spent the next 4km working my way back up to them and then ran with Dave and Kimsop over the next 2km. I was feeling good at this point and thought about taking off a few times in the last mile but for some reason I didn’t. This was probably not the best decision, as I am better right now at a sustained effort than a quick sprint at the end, but it was the one I made and with around 600 meters to go Dave made a move that Kimsop couldn’t match but neither could I am that is how we finished with me in third. Overall the race was better than my previous two and I am still improving my fitness so I am satisfied with that. Two things I learned this week was that a taper week leading up to a race is a benefit if that race is important and you want to feel your best, and getting out of the tent before the race will also help me freshen up leading up to a race. I will need to remember this.
