We usually run a race on Thanksgiving morning, read about past races: 2019 here, 2017 here, 2016 here, 2015 here, 2014 here, and 2013 here. None of the local races were happening this year, but mom saw a Virtual Thankful Run done by the same people who did the Face Mask Run. The money raised for the race was donated to local food banks across the country. She signed us all up and I decided to run my 5k on Thanksgiving morning. I ran mile repeats the week before the race and just felt off and weird like I have all season long. I averaged 6:54 for my mile repeats so I didn't have high hopes for a decent 5k time. I always like to be under 21 minutes which is a 6:45 average pace but I knew I usually run my mile just a smidge faster in a 5k race than what I do for mile repeats on my own. But that's when I have other people to run with in a race. I figured I'd be doing good if I could run the 5k in 6:54 pace.
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| Wearing my Thankful Run mask before running the fun run with the kids. |
Thanksgiving morning I slept in until the kids got up, read in bed for a bit before getting up, and took my time getting out for my run. I ran a 2 mile warm up to the trails for my 5k and then ran a 2 mile cool down back home. I ran 3 strides toward the end of my warm up to see how things were feeling and I felt like the race may go okay. I didn't feel as off as I had during my mile repeat speed work. I was just hoping to run my first mile in under 7 minutes because I ran out into the wind and the wind was strong! My first mile split was 6:49 and I was excited. I thought maybe the race was going to go better than I had expected and I might be able to sneak in under 21 minutes. The first half of mile 2 has a very, very gradual hill but it goes on for about half a mile. Turning around with the wind at my back didn't help me as much as I had hoped. I went through my 2nd mile in 6:51. I figured if I were to run my last mile in 6:35, I'd be able to sneak under 21 minutes. I felt okay but still just off and even though the pace didn't feel crazy fast, it was hard to get my legs going. When I saw my split for mile 3 was 6:41, I knew I wouldn't be able to pick up the pace enough in the last tenth of a mile to break 21 minutes but I still pushed as much as I could. When I stopped my watch and saw I'd finished in 21:04, I was disappointed I hadn't been able to run 5 seconds faster but my last tenth of a mile was 6:18 pace so I couldn't be disappointed with that! I know if I hadn't been running alone, I could have gotten under 21 minutes. 5ks are probably the hardest race for me to run well alone. Running 6:46 pace alone, isn't bad for me!
The race has results where you enter your time and post a picture of your Garmin Connect or whatever to verify your time. I'm 4th of 602 overall. Jeremy also ran his on Thanksgiving (4 days after his Virtual Route 66 Marathon) and finished in 22:44, 7:19 pace! He's 7th overall. Mom and dad ran theirs together the Friday after Thanksgiving and finished in 38:20, placing 587th and 588th overall. Ty started out doing his with them and I was doing the fun run with the kids at the same time. When we hit a half-mile out, Elise wanted to keep running so I was going to take Carter back and let Elise keep running with them. Carter decided he wanted to keep going too. Then we hit a stoplight and I was ahead with Elise and Carter was back with everyone else so I went ahead and crossed with Elise. Carter saw me cross and didn't realize everyone else was right behind him so he panicked and got scared. He didn't want to run anymore after that so Ty walked home with him. Then Elise decided she wanted to go home at about 8/10ths of a mile and then at 1.15 wanted to walk the rest of the way home. Lesson learned, make the kids turn around at a half-mile and if they decide they want to run further we can add more on when we get home! So Ty didn't get to do his Thankful Run that day and I'm not sure whether he's going to make it up or not. Elise ran her 1.15 miles in 12:12 which was 10:39 pace.
This season has just been weird and I'm hopeful after some down time in December I'll be able to get back to my normal self for the spring season, whatever the spring season entails. I've been having some issue with my left glute and hamstring again so that probably plays into things a bit. I'm hoping I can get it back where it needs to be and that will help a lot with my speed! I'm running a half-marathon this weekend to earn my medal from the Chisholm Trail Half Marathon I was registered for back in March. They just cancelled the race without switching to virtual or anything, so I thought I'd just run a half for fun to earn the medal that came in my race packet. At first I thought I'd shoot for a decent time but with how this season has gone, my plan is to start at 7:30 pace and try to negative split, just having fun with it and running what I feel like. It has definitely worked out that I'm having a blah season right now since there's nothing really to train for and no races to work toward. I don't mind bombing a virtual race like I would a regular race, although it still is a bit disappointing to just not feel myself during them.
You would have definitely been way under 21:00 if it would have been a real race - I run about 10 seconds/mile faster running with someone vs. running alone. I agree that 5ks are hard to run fast alone - if you lose focus or let off during a rough patch it's really detrimental, whereas in a half you have a much larger percentage of the race to make up for a short rough patch (although I think for me, fast marathons are the hardest race to run alone). I'm sorry you're not feeling like your normal running self; I've been there and it's frustrating. Like you said, 2020 is the best year for it to happen if it has to though!
ReplyDeleteI may have to adjust what I said on that because I ran a half-marathon alone yesterday and it got really hard those last 5 miles! It was hard to push when I knew my time wasn't going to be fast no matter what I did! Anytime my mind wandered I noticed I fell off to about marathon pace and I'd have to pick it back up. I definitely think running a fast marathon alone would be the absolute hardest. Virtual Boston was tough enough that last 10k even having a running buddy and not trying to run fast!
DeleteI think being off maybe wouldn't be as bad if I was running actual races and that makes it seem like this rough patch is worse than others I've had. Usually if I have an off-season I can still run sub-21 in the 5k and sub-1:35 in a half. But I think running alone my "race" times aren't as fast and it makes it seem like I'm way more off than I have been in the past. But my speed work and tempos have been much worse than in the past. Who knows what's going on, but I have faith I will get back to where I like to be eventually!