We lined up, but I didn’t get right on the line, because I thought might struggle a bit and would be slow. That was a mistake, because (inexplicably) the New Orleans Track Club has returned to reporting only gun time, despite having a chip timing system. But anyway. I felt pretty good for mile one, with just barely a hitch in my step, and I actually thought I’d maybe have a good race. I hit mile one in 6:11, but it was short, I think - other runners’ Garmins were beeping a little later (I had manual lap on). Things went downhill during mile two- I was obviously lacking any speed in my legs after my long running break, and suddenly my feet felt far too heavy. To make matters worse, I felt my hamstring tightening, and started shortening my stride. Mile two was 6:21.
At this point, I started playing with pace and stride to help alleviate some strain on my hamstring. It worked, all well and good, except that the pace that helped was slooooow. Like 6:38 slow. So that’s how mike 3 went. And I ended up with 19:58, feeling a little sheepish and a little sore.
That little 5k was a bad idea, obviously. I could have re-strained my hamstring and destroyed my upcoming marathon - just 35 hours later! Plus, it gave me tired, sore muscles right before a 26 mile race. But I figured that my marathon goal was not too hard. My BQ time is 3:40, so I could always dial the effort back; I’d have some cushion. Of course, the result simply meant that I ran two very average races. Quantity over quality, I guess!
I can’t wait to hear how your marathon went! I hope your hamstring held up well!
ReplyDeleteIf it's your favorite then it's good you did it! Although maybe not ideal so soon before a marathon. Glad you didn't re-injure your hamstring.
ReplyDelete