Race report from the Sale Sizzler
Was having mini panics about getting there all day and ended up missing meeting the group from Cafe Diagnosis as was a bit too stressed (ridiculous I know), but the race started at 19:30 so had plenty of time and walked there from mine which took about an hour. I walk everywhere though so that was a good warm up listening to Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History podcast, a new one for me. I just want to thank everyone for their lovely posts on facebook as well after the last update. I found it very encouraging (and head swelling!) and it helped me along at the race, even just getting to the race!
This race was a really surprising one, since the marathon training/injury I have been in and out of injury and building my base mileage up. Around 3 months ago I was getting under 22 minutes in the 5k. Then 2 weeks ago I went to parkrun and ran as long as I could at 20minute pace (15kph) and got only halfway before needing to slow down, ending with 20:44. My 5k PB is 20:34 and by now is almost 11 months old! I was hoping to just beat that, maybe by 10 seconds. But at the race I got to halfway, felt fine, got to 3k, felt fine so started to push a bit harder, at 4k I had stomach cramp and was feeling tired but still have felt worse at 4k before. I also remembered all the lovely posts on facebook and imagined having Marlon, Blue and Pharaoh running with me and kept going. Towards the end I thought I had another 400m to run, but it turned out to be only 100m so with disbelief sprinted towards the finish line. The time on the clock said 20:08 as I was approaching the finish line, I knew I was close to sub 20:00 and certainly PB.
We were chatting after the race when Matt told me they send a text with the results, I looked at my phone and was so happy with 20:00, I somehow managed to knock 34 seconds of my PB and 44 seconds off my recent best. A 20 minute 5k is something I wasn’t sure would be possible at the start of my running so I feel like its a dream come true. There’s the awkwardness of it not being a sub-20 but I really don’t care, now I get to celebrate hitting 20 minutes, whilst also celebrating getting sub 20 in the future.
I remember running at the gym earlier last year and struggling to get under 30 minutes (10kph) and the little celebration I did when hitting it then and now I can run for 20 minutes at 15kph, outside! So happy about that.
Really enjoyed my first Sale Sizzler, this was the fourth and final one this year and I will definitely try and make them all from now on, that will be next year however. The conditions were also great for running yesterday whereas I believe the first 3 were sizzlers indeed! In the end I would have been happy whatever time I got, most people who aren’t at the front of a race only race themselves, and a lot of the time I don’t even do that, just enjoy the run. It is nice to see some progress however after putting in all the effort doing intervals, so I am really happy to know everything is working.
Hope everyone is OK and I love you all!
Official Results: https://sale-harriers.niftyentries.com/Results/Sale-Sizzler-4-2018/2117/1
Strava (forgot HR monitor so ignore that stuff): https://www.strava.com/activities/1776875665
Sans Shoelaces 