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I avoid 5k races like the plague. \u00a0I honestly believe that the two hardest standard race distances are marathons and 5k’s. \u00a0At least with a marathon people ooh and awe over your ability to make it to a finish line 42.2 km away from the start. \u00a0Tell someone you ran a wicked fast 5k and, unless it is another runner, you aren’t going to get much of a reaction. \u00a05k runners do not get the respect they deserve.<\/p>\n
I am not a wicked fast runner. \u00a0Furthermore, it generally takes me a good 5k to even remember that I actually like running. \u00a0I prefer to ease into a run, knowing that there is lots of time to increase my pace. \u00a0Throw in the fact that I have done so little speed work (ok, none really) as I train for a fall marathon, I had no idea of what to expect when I raced a 5k at yesterday’s Canadian Race at Mooney’s Bay. \u00a0The boys and my husband were doing the 5, I didn’t really feel like doing the 10k and the half was going to take place at noon – way too hot for me! \u00a0So I figured I would push myself a bit, but not 100%, in order to see what speed I could manage.<\/p>\n
I have really slowed down my running these last two months. \u00a0I am simply interested in endurance right now so most of my runs are in the 6 to 6:30 min\/km range. \u00a0I have been consistently doing 4 to 6 hundred metre strides each week and I have on occasion tried to run between 5:30 and 5:50 for a few kms at a time. \u00a0None of this however filled me with confidence and I just desperately hoped I could finish under 27 minutes. \u00a0Way back in 2012 I had run a 26:12 5k race, but it seemed unlikely I could match that.<\/p>\n
Sometimes you should have a little faith in yourself. \u00a0I may not have been running quickly this summer but I have been running a lot! \u00a0The mileage paid off. \u00a0Without going out a 100% – but definitely working very hard – I finished the race with a new PB of 25:19. \u00a0Bonus – I did not even remotely feel like I was going to puke \ud83d\ude42 \u00a0Second bonus – my legs felt fine both after the race and today. \u00a0In fact they felt good enough to run 14 km this morning, certainly nowhere near that speed but with a nice negative split. \u00a0So there is a new little goal now floating in the back of my mind. \u00a0Once the marathon is done, I think I should see if I can do a sub 25 minute 5k. \u00a0I am pretty sure with some specific speed work I can achieve that goal, a goal I had never even bothered to think about until yesterday.<\/p>\n
Of course I never caught up to my husband or my 12-year-old, they both managed to finish in the 23 minute range, (dad a little ahead of son, not sure how much longer that will happen!) and all three of us won our age categories. \u00a0Yes, it was a very small race. \u00a0Luke, my 10-year-old, came so close to being in the medals, finishing 4th in the 13 and under category. \u00a0One day we will manage to have all four of us pick up a lanyard.<\/p>\n
![\"Mike](\"http:\/\/raz-family.ca\/RunKristi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/20150905_093613-Reduced-e1441564566748.jpg\")
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