Again to 5,000 meters

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

― Theodore Roosevelt

The last time I raced an all out 5,000m was in May of 2015(pictured above when I ran 14:49 at Swarthmore, on a humid day and placed 7th overall out of 75 competitors).    

I have a certain love/hate relationship with the 5K.  While my short distance speed is my weakness(my mile PR is only 4:21), the 5K is long enough that I can run down some guys during the 3rd mile.  I find I am the most confident during that mile-it's getting through the first 2 miles that is rough for me.  You burst out onto the track from the gun and the start is always pretty crazy-people push around a lot.  You have to stay calm but you also have to be aggressive at the same time-it's intense!  But I have developed a passion for racing the distance I used to not be very good at.  I'm not talented at it-I am a grinder and always have been.  But I like how this distance helps me in the longer distances.  It helps me become more efficient and that's why I believe that continuing to work down my shorter distance times while I can helps me get better.  I want to get the most efficient I can, because I can then use my efficiency to my utmost potential in longer distance racing.  The shorter distance is my weakness, and by working on it, it will help my strengths in my best races.

I'd like to take down that 14:49 I ran a few years ago.  I've done some good 5K specific workouts this spring, like 16 x 400m w/ 100m jog rest(averaging between 69's-70's), 5 x 1000m(working down from 2:58 to 2:52) w/ 400m jog rest, and some quick sprints ranging from 100m-400m.  My speed feels good-I am definitely more comfortable running 69-70 per 400m, and doing some 30 second 200s.

The 5K race is tonight(May 15) at 10:05 pm, at Swarthmore College in PA.  Race is quite late, and I'll be hanging with my buddy Brian Flynn and his team from Bridgewater college.  The field looks great- I am seeded 12th out of over 90 competitors entered.  There will be 3 heats and I will be in the first one.  I'm going to go for it tonight and take a shot at a new PR.  Achieve or fail, I am in great position for a new personal best.  I am looking to run 70's the whole way, and if I get to 2 miles around 9:15-9:20, I will be in a great spot going into the 3rd mile.  Now's the time to let it loose.  No holding back now.

Since the US Half Champs, I've done some sharpening workouts, and just a few things this week but nothing crazy.  The US Half Champs was more of a hard run than a race-conditions were quite humid and it just wasn't a fast day.  I was happy with how I stuck with a consistent effort and got through it.  It certainly was one of those runs that you just had to grind through to get to the other side.

Break on through to the other side...

-The Doors

May 1 - May 7:
Mon: am: 9 mile progression(5:11 last mile)/ pm: 4.6 miles
Tues: am: 6 miles/pm: 5 miles
Wed: pm: Track(VO2Max): 5 x 1000m with 400m jog between(2:00-2:30 recoveries)
Splits: 2:58, 2:53, 2:53, 2:52, 2:52.....9.5 miles total
Thurs: am: 8.3 miles + pool running 60:00 min/pm: 4 miles
Fri: am: 4.7 miles/pm: 7 miles
Sat: am: Track(Sprints/Turnover): 8 x 100m(15-16), 4 x 200m(30-31), 1 x 400m (64)....6 miles total/
pm: 4.5 miles
Sun: 14 mile progression(5:12 last mile)

Mileage Running: 83 miles
Pool Running: 60:00=6 miles
Total: 89 miles

May 8 - May 14:
Mon: am: pool running 70:00 + 6.2 miles/pm: 3.3 miles
Tues: am: 10 miles
Wed: am: 5 miles/pm: Track: 600m(1:45), 3 x 400m(70, 68, 67), 800m(2:15)....8.3 miles total
Thurs: am: 3.5 miles + strength training/pm: 6.1 miles
Fri: am: pool running 60:00 + 5.7 miles
Sat: am: 5.3 miles + strength training
Sun: am: 9.2 miles

Mileage Running: 63 miles
Pool Running: 2 hours 10 min=13 miles
Total: 76 miles