Realignment after the Race (Part 1 - The Race)

Last Saturday was the Tim Heinsz Memorial 5k, the race that I have been training for since the beginning of the year. I had originally set a goal to complete it in under 30 minutes (10 minute miles) but as my training progressed I was pretty sure that I could complete it in under 27 minutes (9 minute miles). I was training pretty hard for it and I was at just about 27 minutes (27:15) before Easter. However, Easter came and knocked me back to 29 minutes, I wasn't sure I could get back to where I was.



Then race day came.



It was a cold and rainy Saturday morning as we all took the starting block at 9:00 AM but I was determined to finish with my two goals in mind 1) Under 27 minutes 2) not stopping (this may seem easy but for me it really isn't I just can't seem to breathe after running for a while - as Ralph said to Piggy, "sucks to your asthmar") The gun went off, the clock began and we were off. I was doing alright until about the 1.5 mile marker (there was a pedestrian bridge to cross) there I had to stop had no breath left. After a short 2 block walk across the bridge I was off again, determined not to let the clock beat me. As the course went on and I neared the "final lap" that I had planned in my head I couldn't see the clock, the visual race clock had stopped working. ( I later learned that they had kept the times without the display showing) I had no idea how much time I had left to meet my goal. So I mustered what little energy I had left and sprinted around Reynolds hall and through Carnahan quad to hit the finish line. I had finished with only one stop but with no idea of what time I had achieved. We waited around and they said they would have to manually connect the time with the numbers of the runners but I wasn't leaving until I knew. 26:46! Passed by the skin of my teeth, yes! It was a great feeling but now I know the goal I have for next year, I'll have to keep training, not stop, and get it under 24 minutes (8 minute miles)



Up next..."realignment"