i gotta feeling

I gotta feeling...that tonight's gonna be a good night...

Whether playing on the iPod en route to Hoboken or by the race DJ, that seemed to sum up last nite's Party With Purpose 5K. To get right to the point-I finally ran a 5K race where I was happy with the pacing and set a PR in the process. But hey, this wouldn't be a race report without the details and the story, right...?

So I almost thought I would get stuck late at work, but thankfully I was able to change into my racing attire and escape the office by 5:30...hopped on the PATH train and made it to the Hobe with plenty of time to spare. Got my race stuff, and thankfully there was baggage check this year, so I didn't have to waste time trekking to/from NYSC to lock up my bag (not before seeing an encouraging good luck text message on the Crackberry :)) Not much exciting pre-race stories...but when I started my 2-mile warmup...well to quote the lyrics above (and just happened that the DJ was playing the song at the time)...I had a feeling this just may be my night. Did my warmup, still a little time to kill...saw Flyers ES, NS, YP and AH while desperately trying to find water...was hotter than I thought it would be! Why can't those fountains be on...oh wait, there are bottles by the post-race goodies...desperate times call for desperate measures :)

With around 15 minutes to go, was time to line up...and of course it was a total free-for-all. Me and ES, who were both out to really race, lined up a few rows back from the front. It seemed like we were a little back from where the start was yesterday, and I wondered out loud if that possibly meant that last year's short mile 1...well...wouldn't be this year. Of course the woman behind me heard it and started asking questions "was the course short? was the course long? will it be long this year? was the course corrected?" uh lady...I don't know. it's almost 7, can we race already? We started moving up...to where the real starting line was, which was the same as last year. By that time it was after 7 and we were all antsy to get going. Finally, finally, the starting horn sounded...

OK Mile 1...gonna run it hard, but not go-out-too-hard-and-die-at-end hard. Again, faster runners passed me and I just let them go...didn't want to get sucked in. This mile was tight at the beginning, but opened up nicely...heard another DJ playing music, then time to go along the water. Ah, there's that mile 1 marker. And I am at...7:09! Looks like they may have fixed that mile this year...and you know what, I just may be able to keep this up for at least another mile...

So Mile 2 was the mentally tough mile. That is where I always lose my cool in 5Ks and fall dramatically off the pace. I really did not want that to happen today...just kept running hard, and when I started feeling hot and uncomfortable and about to lose my nerve, I said to myself "It may be hot out, but you're hotter." I kid you not...and I don't even know how that popped into my mind!! There's the leaders coming back the other direction...the turnaround must be soon. Turnarounds kinda suck because they cause you to slow down and lose momentum (so glad they got rid of those in Central Park races!) And the mile 2 marker showed up in about another half-mile...and this mile-7:18! I was pleased, I really didn't fall apart here, even with slowing for the turnaround. Things are looking good...

So I can run hard for 2 miles...could I keep it up for the last 1.1 miles? Only one way to find out...just go for it. I kept some of my recent speed workouts in mind...particularly those 1K repeats...tried to channel the energy I had those nights to right now. And I could see the pier in the distance...now all I needed to do was just get there. Finally, we were directed off the street and onto the running path...and I knew it wasn't that much longer. Oh look, there's Flyer FR cheering. There's the final turn...and once again, no mile 3 marker. I can see the finish...come on now, finish strong, who cares if it hurts, you can rest in a minute...not even!! Gave it all I had...and finished in 22:23 according to my watch...official time 22:25, 7:13 pace-and a PR by 12 seconds!! And that last 1.1 miles was done in 7:56...if my math is right, that was a 7:10 pace? Wow, I did finish really strong, even if I may not have felt it.

So afterwards, just waited around for everyone else to finish...me and NS checked out the "beer garden" and thought it was kinda lame, so met up with YP and AH and headed to a bar near the PATH station. I enjoyed a coupla pints of Honey Moon while sitting outside on such a nice night...yeah, I think we all made the right choice to pass on the "beer garden" :)

As for the race-very pleased. Not just with the final time, but even moreso, the execution-I just might have this pacing thing down for 5Ks :) And yeah, breaking an almost 5-year-old PR isn't too shabby either. Maybe, if I actually taper and have cooler conditions...could sub-22 be possible? Also I do suspect last year's course was short...this year I have no doubt it was a full 5K, so that makes it a little sweeter if that is the case. Funny thing-this year I was 23rd female and 7th in my age group...last year, 24th female and 7th in my age group with a race time about 20 seconds slower!! There were a lot more people running this year though (this year supposedly over 1,000 as opposed to around 600 last year...)...but damn-every year, the field just gets more and more competitive...

And speaking of "competitive", my next race just defines competitive, the Club Team Champs 5-Miler. Now 5 miles is the last "common" distance where my lifetime PR (37:51) is still from 2004...will that change on August 8th? Stay tuned... :)

so close!!

Damn!! To miss a 5K PR by a matter of seconds!! But considering I haven't even come close in about 4 years...I am sure taking it!!

Being tired of the Central Park races and climbing Cat Hill for the umpteenth time...I was looking for a fun race to do, figuring the early part of marathon training would be the best time to indulge in a 5K or another short race. I remembered a teammate of mine talking about the Party With Purpose 5K in Hoboken and thought...flat, certified course, no crazy crowds? Bring it on!! And a night race too, which is always fun.

So the pre-race routine went as follows...escape work, hop on the PATH train at Christopher Street, arrive in Hoboken, pick up my bib and chip, go to the nearby NYSC to change and lock up my bag, stretch a little bit, warm up for a coupla miles...easy peasy!! Only thing that unsettled me a little bit was not knowing where the start was...wasn't clear...had to sorta follow where everyone else was lined up and sneak in there :) Anyway, Flyer YP and JS from the Rez Dogs were lined up with me...the last pre-race bit of advice JS gave me was "don't go out too fast." Guess he knows how I pace short races :) Anyway, the gun sounds and we start...

...and we're off and running. I really, really tried to not let the faster people suck me in, not get intimidated if people were passing me...just concentrate on running hard but not all-out. The first mile went along the water and I wasn't delirious yet, so I actually enjoyed that :) Anyway...the first mile came up sooner than I thought...in 6:46. Holy.shit. That's my fastest mile split ever in a race. At that point...3 thoughts went through my head:

1. OMG-I really did go out too fast.
2. But it didn't *feel* too fast!! This could be interesting if I kept up the effort.
3. I don't feel like looking at the distance on Mr. Garmin right now, but maybe this mile was short.

Whatever, I just kept plugging along for mile 2, if anything it gave me a little boost of confidence...as my preliminary goal was to run around 23 minutes...preferably under :) Had a turnaround at around the 1.5 mile point...probably the only "slow" part of the course (turnarounds always seem to do that!!) Mile 2 came up in a more realistic 7:29...ok, maybe I slowed but I was at 14:15 cumulative...hmmm, could I really be on PR pace???

Mile 3 was pretty much the same as mile 1, just going in the opposite direction, but at that point, I wasn't really taking in any sights, I was just concentrating on running hard. I passed a water station and someone cheered and called me by name but I didn't even see or know who the heck it was :) I tried to keep things like the OT 5K in mind to inspire me to stay strong and pick it up just a little bit more (I wanted to run a "smokin' hot" last mile...hehe.) Finally, in the distance I could see where the turnoff was to the pier and the finish...all I had to do was GET there!! No mile 3 marker, but as I got to the turnoff, I looked at my watch quickly and saw the time was 21:xx, and not knowing how long I had left to go...holy shit, this is gonna be CLOSE!!! I decided to not look at my watch again til the end and just run, who cares if it hurts, it'll all be over soon. I thought of Amy Begley trying to make the "A" standard in the 10K by seconds. I heard both JS and YP cheering for me. I heard the announcer encouraging those of us approaching to get in under 23 minutes!!! I pulled out one last finishing kick...crossed the chip mat, stopped my watch, breathed a sigh of relief it was over.

And did I do it? Not quite...according to my watch, wound up with 22:42, 7:19 pace (22:44 according to the official results)...missing my 22:37 PR by a matter of seconds!! 8:27 for that last 1.1 miles (which I think was long and mile 1 was short...I know I slowed, but not that drastically!) But I know I gave it my all...as I hit a new HR max (188...I was previously claiming 185) and I was just delirious afterwards...when I got my clip clipped, I couldn't even speak full sentences.

So, afterwards, I caught up with YP (who had a huge PR) and JS (who ran just over 19 minutes and was very happy with his race!)...checked out the results to see if I possibly could have placed...dammit, 7th in 30-39!! The times really got more competitive this year...but oh well, still damn good!! JS and I then celebrated our races with a coupla Blue Moons at the post-race party (gotta love drink specials for race participants!) and my baby bro even joined us to catch a coupla innings of the All-Star game at the bar. Fun nite-definitely worth skipping the Philharmonic picnic with the Flyers for :)

And as for missing a PR? Seriously, when you consider that said PR was set in 50 degree weather (it was around 80 last nite), no tired marathon training legs (I had done a long run Saturday and the 10K at training pace on Sunday-so not exactly tapered!) and that I have not even come close to that time since the PR was set...I was very happy!! Yay...back in the game!!