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Running another 5k has been on my list for a while, but it was difficult to fit one in with the Shamrock 15k and Bloomsday 12k already on my calendar. Fortunately, the Portland Pilots decided to host a track meet this past Sunday, which fit perfectly into my race calendar! The Portland Twilight meet was recently adopted into a group of meets called the Portland Track Festival, which caters to high school, collegiate, community, elite and masters runners; another reason I LOVE living Portland! I was so excited when I learned that racing at a track meet doesn’t end after college.
THE CHALLENGES
Going into this race I had a lot of things running through my mind. First off, I was really nervous about my breathing. I had an amazing race at Shamrock (a wonderfully rainy day) followed by workout after workout of feeling like I couldn’t breath. I finally discovered that there was a direct correlation between the pollen count in the air and how I was feeling on runs, which resulted in my coach catering my workouts to pollen counts.
Secondly, I have recently been lacking a sense of competitive drive. I’m not sure where it comes from, but this past week leading into the race I actually had to mentally teach myself how to race again; not run, but RACE. I’ve noticed that over the past few years, it has become easier to reach a moment of complacency in my races. When training to run a marathon in a specific time it’s simple to train to a pace and fall into that rhythm, but when the races get shorter, it’s not that simple. Running is a mental game, and in shorter races it becomes more difficult to cater to the unexpected moments that present themselves. Just like being quick on your feet, you have to be quick-minded. Whether it’s a 2-minute race or a 17-minute race, every decision you make affects the next one in line.
RACE DAY
The race started at 8pm on a Sunday night, and I cannot tell you how antsy I was getting by 2pm. I was really uncertain about my eating schedule. Thankfully, my good friend was also running the 5k and she recommended that I eat breakfast in the evening before the race. My breakfast food tends to be very untraditional, so for this situation, it actually worked out perfectly: oatmeal and avocado with a touch of salt a good 4 hours before the race (I’ve never been a sweet oatmeal type of person—savory all the way!). I also managed to get a short nap in to calm my nerves.
I arrived at the race with plenty of time to get warmed up, stretch, get some strides in, and head to the start. The day was the rainiest it had been in months, which also meant pollen count was at it’s lowest (1.6/12). I was used to training with counts between 8 and 10, so I could already tell the air was feeling good! As I took a toe to the line, my nerves dropped, adrenaline jumped, and the race started—we were off! Within the first lap I could feel it, we were going the perfect pace. As we continued on, the lead pack started to pull away, but I was exactly where I wanted to be in terms of pace. I knew I needed to run an average of 81.6 seconds per lap to break the 17 minute mark, so that’s what I was working for. I was feeling so good.
At about the 7th lap it started to hit me…my breathing became a little more sporadic and short, and then all of the sudden it was back—my dreaded side-stitch. Every race, no matter what distance, this stitch shows up. I haven’t found a trick to get rid of it while I’m running, so my only remedy at the moment is to keep running or stop, bend over, and take deep belly breaths. In a 12k or 15k or marathon, stopping is acceptable, but in a 5k on a track, not so much…so, I kept running. I’ve grown used to the pain, but it gets really frustrating when you know your legs can go faster but you physically cant. Before the race my coach told me to remember the 600’s we did the week prior and that I can run a solid 600m when I am tired. When I hit 600m to go I took off, breathing or no breathing—I wanted to finish strong. When I had 200 meters to go I held my breath and went for it (if you don’t breath, you cant feel the stitch!)—pulling out a 31 second 200m (an almost personal best!).
RESULTS My overall time was 17:11, which was 12 seconds faster than my last race on the track and I am very happy about it. And, although my dreaded side-stitch came back, my chest felt amazing with the fresh air, a feeling I haven’t had in months. My next 5k goal will be to beat that 17-minute mark, but it might have to wait until next year. Instead, I might see what my legs can do with a 1500m in 4 weeks at the Portland Track Festival ;)
In case you are interested, here is a list of my upcoming races:
6/12/16 - Portland Track Festival (1500m on the Track)
6/18/16 – Seattle Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon
8/13/16 – Oregon Wine Country Half