Note to all: I am little behind so I need to catch up. I still have to write about the Long Beach Island Sprint Triathlon and the Ragnar (this weekend). I know everybody is head over heels to read my race reports so I don't want to disappoint my fans.
Moving on...
It's been a while since I ran a road 5k seriously. I ran a trail 5k last year with my running club, Raritan Valley Road Runners, and did that race in a pretty respectable time. This year, I was pretty much forced into it by my family. My little sister and mom has gotten into running and they signed up for the race. Due to my pathologically competitive juices, I had no choice.
It is tradition to run the Labor Day 5k race in the small town of South Plainfield since it kicks off the over the top festivities. The celebration is nationally recognized with TV crew covering the event multiple times. SP is one of the few towns who go all out and put together a party for the holiday. I used to make fun of it ( alright...I still do), but it gives the small industrial town an identity and sense of community. So by seeing everyone in the town, as well as surrounding towns, come to have a great time on a day to remind us that we need to take a day off from our crazy schedules is admirable and I am proud to be a citizen of South Plainfield.
That being said, I have not run the 5K on Labor Day since 2011 and I did it as a training exercise. My friend T-Money and I ran 4 miles before the race, the race itself, and then 3 miles after to make it a 10+ mile day. The last serious 5K I've done is not since high school cross country. To be accurate, the Labor Day race was a jumping off point for the fall sport, where our famous Coach Mike Capizola sees who ran over the summer and who was a lazy bum (I was always the lazy bum....something I regret).
So needless to say, it's been way overdue to run a serious 5K.
When I ran this in 2011, about 190 runners did the race.
On September 1, 2014, over 300 runners did the race making it a bigger and more exciting event. It is a testament to how big Labor Day is in this town.
It's also another clear cut sign that running is continually growing in popularity; a plus in this increasingly unhealthy nation (1).
(1) Oh snap, did I just use three adverbs and a semicolon. This is getting out of control!
The race is organized by a mom and pop organization, which always creates a nice and relaxed atmosphere.
It also means that the race will not start on time.
The race was billed to go off at 9:30.
The gun went off closer to 10:00.
Brilliant.
Normally, I wouldn't mind the late start (very common in sprint triathlons) but the day I pick to run a competitive 5K for the first time in 10 years, it had to be the hottest day of the year.
Ideally, a 5k should start at 8:30, so even the slowest of runners will finish right before the heat sets in. Starting the race near 10:00 brings the heat close to its apex, which is no fun for anyone, especially after the 70s Summer of 2014 where I was continuously deceived to believe we were living in California.
I had already warmed up with a 2.5 mile jog and since the organizers had gathered us together to go off at 9:30, starting near 10:00 made a lot of people tight, including myself.
The gun went off and I quickly remembered why I don't do serious 5k's anymore. They are way too fast for me.
See, the strategy of running half marathons and longer is to start slower and slowly get into to your goal race. That is right in my wheel house. I love starting out slowly and finishing strong (2). It gives you a huge confidence boost and you pass a lot of people in the meantime. Always a plus.
(2) For half marathons and longer, every running coach in the world agrees this is the way to go. I know a lot of people who think and vehemently defend that starting out fast and getting comfortable into your goal pace is the way to go. Due to the distance of the races, you will almost always have a positive split, or run slower in the second half of the event. It never ends well, yet so many runners consistently make this mistake.
5K strategy is almost the complete opposite. You have to start out fast, survive the middle, and finish with whatever you have left. It sucks. I hate it. I suck at it and again, there is a reason why I will only do these in sprint triathlons. Add to the fact, the combination of the heat and natural speed of the race and it equals pain and discomfort. Granted, it's a big part of the reason I sign up for these races but when you run at increased speeds, it brings a level of discomfort that I rather not endure (3).
(3) I am pretty sure I am coming off like a little bitch. Well...it's because I am acting like a little bitch.
I finished with a time of 20:14 which resulted in 16th place overall and 2nd in my age group (4).
(4) I want to note that I am not proud of the enormous trophy they gave me. It's about the same size of the trophy you give to a youth basketball team after they won the league championship (I should have taken a picture...wasted opportunity). I ran a semi-fast time. Hell, I ran a mediocre time and to place 2nd in my age group (20-29), was embarrassing. I almost wanted to give the trophy away but that's dumber than the trophy itself, leaving me to present it in my bedroom with a sort of unintentional comedy.
However, I am very proud of my sister for placing 1st in her group (5) and my mom finishing her first 5K faster than her goal time. A very positive day in the Smith household to say the least. My sister has already signed up for a 10k (which is this weekend) and is doing the Philadelphia Half Marathon with me in November. My mom is doing a 5k this weekend during the same race as my sister, which is fun because it's Marissa's 20th birthday weekend. Hell of a way to celebrate and I am proud of both of them for joining the lore of running.
(5) Call to all female Labor Day runners between the age of 20-29: Step up your game. 23 minutes for a 5k should not win first in anything. Do better.
Good day and good racing.
Thanks for reading.
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