Too Cold to Hold 5 miles 2/2/14

This is a build-up race I found for Cowtown 10k on 22nd this month.  5 miles will make almost 8.5k, so if I can do this at this point, there is quite likely I can complete 10k.  I punched in the 5k time from last week with Plano Pacers to get projected time in Runner’s World running time calculator and it said 51:53.  I flipped last year’s record and that would put me into about half way in the bunch.  With that data and last week’s Athena 5k win, I was not intimidated so much anymore.  The location is well known to Tony and me.  It is right by White Rock Lake and we have ridden there so many times, we lost count.  So when we saw the course map, I could almost picture where it was, but here is wonderful Dallas. I didn’t know what the parking situation is going to be.  I went to package pickup on very first day and I got a beanie.  That was for first 1,000 people and Facebook conversation yesterday revealed that they are out and on-site pickup people will not be given one.  Which meant, over 1,000 people are registered and in this country, it usually means over 1,000 vehicles need places to park.  Oddly enough, the event web page was curiously missing parking information.  I was really worried that I may not get a good spot around the park and ended up walking for a long distance, in the freezing rain!  So I announced Hubby the night before that I am leaving at 6:30 am because the on-site pick up starts at 7:00.  Luckily Hubby was kind enough to confirm the lack of decent parking spots in the park (which were assigned as VIP parking anyway) and he woke up early for me, to be team chauffer and we should move up to leave around 6:15.  I must have been quite nervous:  I had a nightmare in that I had to sing in a musical and I was not prepared. 

When we got there, we got a really good spot, right by where the Expo and three cars down from where the street that goes out as a course.  Volunteers were taking orders and warmth and tents were already set up.  Then I realized I forgot to pack GU, ear warmer band and the beanie I was given!  Luckily Boy Scout Tony had a nice beanie and gladly loaned his.  So I walked around half-way set up Expo and found a CLIF bar tent where they were giving away energy Chomps looking thing, so I took that as well as protein bar and regular size CLIF bar.  And I did my first visit to the bathroom and then I settled in the car for a while.  Then cars start to show up over the bridge on Northwest highway and the sun came up.  I went for warm up and found hot chocolate and French pastry to the car.

While I was walking around, I saw a couple of groups who were doing serious warm up stretch and apparently meant business, like school Track and Field team.  But I was thinking most people didn’t do hardly any warm up compared to other run events or even Du I have been to.  I started to think, maybe I will do half way decent, like faster half.    Run-on Bird gave me high five:  maybe he is a SMU graduate and saw my cycling jersey under the jacket.  Tony told me to place myself not to far back, so I went rather ahead and started.  I edited the start part of the video to be about 45 seconds when I took off, but the original video Tony took for complete start was over 2:50 long.  A LOT of people. 

I am used to all kind of pass me and I saw 5k people deviated the route really quickly and started running over the bridge.  Coach’s order today was run like time trial and predicted heart rate to be 150bpm plus.  What that meant to me in plain English is that it has to feel very easy at the beginning.  And with new heart rate strap and the cream, the heart rate numbers finally looked logical.  Quickly my head warmed up and took off the cute beanie.  I knew there is a quick turn off the Lake ride route we always do: there is a left turn where people take to do a short, moderate hill repeats (my first local Coach, Keith the Camel took me there), so I expected my heart rate will go way up then.  Then I saw people are WALKING up the hill!  Lucky runners: you get to rest walking up the hill and cyclists do not get to rest going up on the hill unless you end up going too slow, fall off the bike or walk with the bike!  Just about then I started to feel good about myself again.  I am an endurance gal and I know how to pace.  My specialty is finish strong.  Then shortly after, 2-mile sign came along and at this point, I thought, OK, I am warmed up for my 5k race.  Now I can race like 5k.  So I picked up somewhat and now heart rate stayed around 160bpm.  I always look for turnaround point too early.  But this is a good point what kind of position I am in.  When I went to the other direction, I saw WHOLE BUNCH of people still coming to this direction, so I felt good again.  There was only one aid station, which were 2 miles and 3 miles for us.  As Spinervals teams pointed out, I deliberately walked through it.  Once I see 3 mile-sign, a lot of people are walking, not just to recover for a while and pick up again, but more like, OK, I am done, I know I can finish walking type walking.  I looked at Garmin and my cadence has not gone down and my heart rate was around 170bpm, so I kept myself push, push and push.  Finally I saw finish line in the distance and looked for Tony on the roadside, but could not see him.  I ran as hard as I could until I saw the timing chip on the ground and then I lined up to the left side, so I could pick up my finisher medal.  Even not taking AG or anything, finisher medal is a good feeling.  And the announcer was saying, the medal has only bottom half and we have to run TOO HOT TO run event in June to complete the top half.  I was not totally committing on that idea yet and kept yelling to find Tony.  When I reached the car, he was not there, so I figured he went to little training himself.   We drove off the site smoothly and fueled at a pancake place.  Sure enough, when I came back, the official result was already posted online.  Official time 52:27 and 15th out of 33 in AG.  Good feeling.

Official result

Garmin data