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| So cold, but Hoka racing kit SO on fleek. |
Woof. It’s been awhile since I’ve updated the ol’ blog, but not because I haven’t been racing. Au contraire, mon ami – I’ve been running more miles and races than I ever have in my life. I’ve just been lazy (correlation? Probably).
After the LA Marathon, I took some much needed time off (which, honestly, was primarily because Chicago in February is akin to Antarctica and the desire to freeze my nards off was strangely equal to the temp outside #zero). I hopped into a small trail 10K while I was in San Francisco for my cousin’s wedding in March, but you all never saw a race report from that because I’m still embarrassed about it (took 2nd place, losing it the last mile. First place prize was a rubber chicken. So much shame).
After the LA Marathon, I took some much needed time off (which, honestly, was primarily because Chicago in February is akin to Antarctica and the desire to freeze my nards off was strangely equal to the temp outside #zero). I hopped into a small trail 10K while I was in San Francisco for my cousin’s wedding in March, but you all never saw a race report from that because I’m still embarrassed about it (took 2nd place, losing it the last mile. First place prize was a rubber chicken. So much shame).
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| *Casually stealing this from Katie's 'gram* |
But then April hit, and with it came slightly-above nard-freezing weather, and I went a little stir-crazy signing up for as many 5Ks as I could find.
See, I suck at the 5K distance. If I pace it poorly, which I always do, it just leads to a slow and inevitable death. I’m not fast enough, and it’s usually just a sloppy 17-minute bath in lactic acid. The more I’ve been racing, the more I’ve seen a trend that if I excel at this running thing in any way, it’s at the longer distances. But racing something you suck at can be fun (in a pretty masochistic way), AND, I can race a 5K and hop back into training without hardly a hiccup.
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| Caught laughing hysterically at Ethan's faceplant. |
And so, my three-5Ks-in-three-weeks started off on April 10th with the Downers Grove Mustang Trot 5K. And boy was this a rust-buster. Having not run anything near 5K race pace (which, really, who knows what that is at this point) and spending the entire 3 days before sitting behind the HOKAmobile’s windshield and consuming wayyy too many gummy bears, this race just plain sucked. Thankfully, fellow IWU-alum and stupidly-fast Fleet Feet runner Ethan Wood decided to join me, so we were both able to wallow in self-pity as we stood FREEZING on the start line (not only was it a torrential downpour on the drive over, but it had snowed the night before. Classic Chicago).
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| Hurling the rainbow in 3, 2, 1... |
Despite a hilarious face-plant at the start of the race, Ethan took the win in an embarrassingly-easy fashion. I followed in a lumbering and wheezing mess, a full minute back in 17:15. I’ve still never thrown up from running, but I’ve never come as close as I did after this relatively slow, embarrassing trot (note: gummy bears don’t make for good carbo-loading).
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| Splits not bad, just slow as balls... |
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6 days and a bajillion miles logged in the HOKAmobile later, I found myself on the track, under the stadium lights, lined up against 20 collegiate athletes, at the Wheaton Twilight Invititation. DAFUQ.
Thanks to some connections in the CCIW, I was able to secure a spot as an unattached runner in the open 5K at the Wheaton Twilight, which just so happens to be the last race I ever ran on a track, 6 years ago to the day. Needless to say, this sufferfest was only ameliorated by cheering from TJ, Elise, their puppy, and all the dope Carthage College athletes I met visiting their team the night before. You’ll note in my splits below: this is how NOT to race (and embarrass yourself irrevocably) a 5K. Plus side: I was able to test out the new HOKA ONE ONE Rocket LD spikes, and they’re dope AF.
6 days and a bajillion miles logged in the HOKAmobile later, I found myself on the track, under the stadium lights, lined up against 20 collegiate athletes, at the Wheaton Twilight Invititation. DAFUQ.
Thanks to some connections in the CCIW, I was able to secure a spot as an unattached runner in the open 5K at the Wheaton Twilight, which just so happens to be the last race I ever ran on a track, 6 years ago to the day. Needless to say, this sufferfest was only ameliorated by cheering from TJ, Elise, their puppy, and all the dope Carthage College athletes I met visiting their team the night before. You’ll note in my splits below: this is how NOT to race (and embarrass yourself irrevocably) a 5K. Plus side: I was able to test out the new HOKA ONE ONE Rocket LD spikes, and they’re dope AF.
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| Thankfully there's no photographic evidence of this trainwreck, just a very embarrassing Strava link... |
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Finally, a week later, I’m at the Ravenswood 5K, just a mile from my house. After a brief warmup over to the race start, some chatting with all the Fleet Feet/New Balance teams (hey Bobby/Johanna/Tony/Kyle/Robby/Draths!), I settled into the pack, with literally zero expectations. I’d worked myself up over the last two races, and they’d been less than ideal. Plus, in usual fashion, I’d been working pretty nonstop the previous couple days, I felt like I was still physically/mentally recovering from the suckfest that was last weekend’s 5K, and I definitely ate way too much Reeses Puffs the night before. So without a real goal and splits I was aiming for, I kinda just went out there and competed.
Finally, a week later, I’m at the Ravenswood 5K, just a mile from my house. After a brief warmup over to the race start, some chatting with all the Fleet Feet/New Balance teams (hey Bobby/Johanna/Tony/Kyle/Robby/Draths!), I settled into the pack, with literally zero expectations. I’d worked myself up over the last two races, and they’d been less than ideal. Plus, in usual fashion, I’d been working pretty nonstop the previous couple days, I felt like I was still physically/mentally recovering from the suckfest that was last weekend’s 5K, and I definitely ate way too much Reeses Puffs the night before. So without a real goal and splits I was aiming for, I kinda just went out there and competed.
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| All I want to do is watch Judge Faith at 5:30PM... |
And it worked! Focusing on relaxing the first mile, gaining ground on the second, and leaving everything left out on the roads the third, I was able to execute a nearly perfectly-paced race, despite not really checking my watch at all. Not only was I never passed, but in almost catching the NB guy ahead of me, I was able to run a (technically) PR in 16:34, or a 5:17/mile average. I say technically because, while I had won a Turkey Trot 5K last year in 15:57, it was by no means 3.1 miles (maybe barely just 3), and my Garmin confirms that the Ravenswood 5K course is legit (2L2Q). Racing in the new HOKA ONE ONE Tracers was a blast, as these shoes really are da (. Y .), and dropping 45 seconds over the last 3 races has been pretty confidence-boosting.
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| That spike right after 2 miles? Running past FF Lincoln Square and hearing the cheers from the awesome staff there! |
And to finish off this whirlwind of a month, I’ll be heading down to Champaign next weekend for the Illinois (Half) Marathon. I’ve opted for the 13.1 distance, as it’s something more in my wheelhouse (and 3 marathons in 6 months kinda beat me up a little bit). Pray I’m not too lazy next weekend and you should get a race report from that ay sap!
