StarFlight 5K - Race Report

I’ve signed up for a few 5K’s this season, and have the intention on racing many more. In total, I think I’ll run about 10 5K’s, 0 10K’s and 3 30K’s throughout the summer. Yes, that is correct, NO 10K’s. All this with the intention of joining the Sub 20 Min 5K Club. Last year I came close a few times, but I couldn’t keep it together and finished the best 5K at 14 seconds over.

After the Marathon I went to Meredith Terranova, my nutritionist to figure out my cramping issues, and to learn how to eat better overall, so I get faster. The problem is, after so many months of being good, of staying home on Friday nights, not drinking much at all, completely eliminating caffeine from my diet and many other ‘sacrifices’, I’ve completely let loose and haven’t started paying attention to my diet, my hydration, my sleep, my alcohol intake (not that it’s bad).
The new, positive nutrition has to wait a few more weeks till I get post marathon relaxation out of the way.

All that to tell you, this week I didn’t drink a minimum of 2 liters of water everyday. Infact, some days, I drank less than 1 liter total. Last night I did stay in, but I had me a nice bowl of Cheetos goodness, and a pizza while watching Texas defeat New Mexico State. (A dinner of champions, I know.)

One very silly reason Ostrich and I signed up was to get the cool technical running shirt with the StarFlight Helicopter on it. Afterall, all the running shirts I own only have text, and maybe a logo. Upon picking up my race packet the day before, I found out: There is NO helicopter on the shirt. A big let down. (By the way, Ostrich injured himself in a freaky bloody accident and was unable to race today.)

I woke up this morning at 5:15 to eat my two bowl of cereal, and spent a total of 7 sessions in the bathroom up until 15 minutes before the race. No, not to pee… (Enough said about that.) Today, unlike past races, I just felt so so, I didn’t really fell mentally 'all there', and just kinda felt “ehhh”.

I got to the race about 45 minutes before race time, and went for about a mile warm up jog. I then saw and hung out with Rob, and Mike “Red” Ray at the start line. Rob had a loose goal to PR, and Red also wanted to beat his previous best. I had decided the night before that I’d be happy with a sub 20min30second race, mostly due to the two hills that would surely burn up my energy,the fact that my legs are still not 100%, and it’s early in the short distance race and training season.

HOOOOOOOOORN! The race starts.

Mile 1: We started just inside Zilker park, where the trail of lights begins, and ran around the soccer fields. Sergey the Russian superstar and some other guy immediately took the lead, followed by a group of about 10 guys holding a sub 6min pace slowly separating themselves from me and 2 other guys.
I felt pretty good, and mentally didn’t feel like my legs were tired like in last week’s 5K. The road veers left and right slightly. One older guy hadn’t quite passed me and starts cutting into my running lane; he just comes on over. If I don’t slow up and get out of his way, we both go down. I raise my hands up (like in my soccer days when I didn’t get a call by the ref). You know… the old “what the ufck are you doing dude??” arm raise.
So I get out of the guy's way now running to his right, and here he comes again, running right right on to me. This time, I raise my hands again, and don’t just think it, but actually say it:

“What the fuck? Watch out, dude!”

He turns around and notices he was way in the wrong on this one and raises his left hand as in

“Sorry, I’m an idiot.”

I concur and in my head I reply:

“Yes, that's right. You ARE a complete idiot, and little do you know, you just cut me off twice in 10 seconds. Do it one more time, and you won't live to see another sunset.”

We approach the 1 mile marker, just before Mopac on Stratford. The marker is a few meters after a 180 degree turnaround. (Anyone else feel like you lose 3 or 4 seconds on these 180 turnarounds?).
I clock in at 6:14 for the 1st mile. (12 seconds faster than the magical 6:26 pace required)

Mile 2: Mile two I’d say was 75% gradual or steady up hill, with 25% downhill. As it’s an out and back on Stratford for a ¼ mile, I first see Red, feel like he’s maybe just 20 seconds behind me. Then I spot Rob, and give him the ‘thumbs up’ sign. He says something motivating and I give him a thumbs up.
This Mile was hard. The problem was it lulled me to sleep with the steady up hills. We crossed over Mopac and ran down towards the Pool. Big Mark is at the turn! Big Mark, my pace buddy at the 3M marathon! What a nice surprise! I did so many extra track workouts and long runs with Mark the last 6 months, that immediately my attitude went from,

“We’ll see how I do today”

to:

“There’s no easy 5K. I’m running this one for all the laps we(blue jackets) ran around the track the last 6 months! I HAVE to perform!

The downhill to the pool was a relief, but I knew there was a hill up around the outdoor theater and more gradual ups for another mile. I took it somewhat easy on mile 2, as I never have enough left in the tank for the last 5mins of prior 5K’s.
I clock in Mile 2 at 6min 38seconds. Shit! Way too relaxed. I just gave up my 12 second buffer and I’m even with required magical time.

Mile 3: Quite a bit of down hill. (for those that are familiar with our Zilker Xmas Tree 1200meter workouts, we ran that route in reverse, so we had a nice long descent back towards the theatre and the pool.)
Here’s where Lulu’s ABC’s came in to play:

“Always Be Closing. Always Be Closing. Always Be Closing. Always Be Closing. Always Be Closing. Always Be Closing.

I repeatedly said that to myself after choosing a target about 75 yards ahead of me.

“Thanks guy in black t-shirt, you’re my rabbit, and I’m about to catch you and destroy you. Always Be Closing. Always Be Closing. Always Be Closing. Always Be Closing. Always Be Closing. Always Be Closing.

I approach the final hill that is right before the 3Mile marker. I know I’ll have a 160meters left after the hill, and look at my watch as I approach the hill. Getting pretty close to 19mins!! I power up the hill passing 1 guy. He looks at me as I fly by himi up that hill.

“Hi there! Didn’t anyone tell you I love hills? Well, I AM hills! I’m kicking your butt on this hill, buddy, and there's nothing you can do about it!” (I mentally said to myself and laughed as I blazed up the hill.)

Hey, anything for motivation! (I’d end up beating him by 28seconds! He was me last year, blowing up with 250 meters to go).
I take the final right turn, and Mark is there, right at the 3Mile marker, he yells:

”You've got 200 more meters Mike!”

I clock in Mile 3 at 6min24seconds.

I’m screaming down the last slight downhill 160 meters. I see the finish line, it’s around the bend. I look at my watch (19:16) and I think:

“I’ve got 43 seconds to get aaaall the way over there??”

Mr. black t-shirt is now 15 yards ahead of me. I’ve got him, I’m confident, but I need him as motivation, so I yell as I catch him:

“Come on! Let’s get under 20! Come on!! Run! Let’s do this!!!”

I think he was taken a back, because I’m sprinting right by his ass, and he’s not running harder. I tried to motivate him, but in reality, I was motivating myself.

I’m 40 yards from the finish and I look at the finish line clock, and I’ve got it in the bag. I’ve got it. Sub 20 here we come. I don’t let up! Sub 20 baby!! I’ve got it!!!
Final 160 meters: 33 seconds. Oh how sweet it is.

Final Time: 00:19:49

Pace: 6:21/M

Overall: 13th

Age Group: 2nd place.

Age Group Award: A cool blue cap with… yep…. you guessed it…. a StarFlight Helicopter on it. I got my helicopter the hard way

P.S's:

Thanks for being there, Mark. What an uplifting surprise!

Rob PR’d by about 4 seconds, and Red PR’d by about 90seconds!

Thank you Rogue, and thank you Panther for the many extra Blue Jacket track workouts you wrote for me. Please don’t let them die!

Thank you, Lulu, for the good luck text message!

I guess it's on to the sub 19:30 club! ha!