Goal 5k in 2 weeks
RunnerElizabeth
Posts: 1,091 Member
So as is pretty typical, my goal race is in two weeks and I was struck down with a killer cold with a fever and the scariest cough ever. I have asthma, a small child in daycare and i don't sleep, so it's no wonder.
Anyway i had to take this last week off because of it. My goal was originally 24:30 for this race, but i'm lowering expectations a little to sub 25. My current pr is 26:04. The challenge of this race is that there will be 10000 people on city streets.
So first of all, where should I line up? Last year when I was slower (there were only 5000 runners) i lined up with the 8s, spent the first mile passing people and ran it at 9:30, the second mile was clear and i ran it at 8:30 then I evened out to my planned pace of 9 in the last mile.
Ideally for this race, I'd like to just run at an 8 the whole way, but because of the crowding I'm guessing this may not be possible. So, given that I lined up with the 8s last year and was unable to run faster than a 9:30 does that mean I need to line up with the 7s?? Am I going to have to be able to run a mile at 7:30 to meet my goal?? This seems like a hard sell given my current lung condition.
Anyone have any experience with ridiculously crowded 5ks? Any thoughts on how I should proceed in the next 2 weeks? Before I got sick, I was hitting 29 miles a week, with 9-12 mile long runs for the first 4 weeks of this 8 week training cycle, the next week was 20 miles and this last week was 0. Do I just have to give up on the idea of using this race as my sub 25 attempt?
Anyway i had to take this last week off because of it. My goal was originally 24:30 for this race, but i'm lowering expectations a little to sub 25. My current pr is 26:04. The challenge of this race is that there will be 10000 people on city streets.
So first of all, where should I line up? Last year when I was slower (there were only 5000 runners) i lined up with the 8s, spent the first mile passing people and ran it at 9:30, the second mile was clear and i ran it at 8:30 then I evened out to my planned pace of 9 in the last mile.
Ideally for this race, I'd like to just run at an 8 the whole way, but because of the crowding I'm guessing this may not be possible. So, given that I lined up with the 8s last year and was unable to run faster than a 9:30 does that mean I need to line up with the 7s?? Am I going to have to be able to run a mile at 7:30 to meet my goal?? This seems like a hard sell given my current lung condition.
Anyone have any experience with ridiculously crowded 5ks? Any thoughts on how I should proceed in the next 2 weeks? Before I got sick, I was hitting 29 miles a week, with 9-12 mile long runs for the first 4 weeks of this 8 week training cycle, the next week was 20 miles and this last week was 0. Do I just have to give up on the idea of using this race as my sub 25 attempt?
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Replies
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I'm going to give you some advice someone once gave me.
Just run. Given your recent illnesses and all the other factors just go in with no expectations and just run. Line up with the 8's. That way you will be pleasantly surprised if you PR and not crushed if you don't. 0 -
Elizabeth, I don't have any great advice--just sorry you were waylaid when you were planning such an awesome PR time. I just hope you are feeling better so running this race doesn't wipe you out. <i.e. get the asthma under control >
However, you were running so many miles and training so hard, I bet you will do better than you imagine!0 -
Ha! Jen, that is actually pretty good advice! I should listen to it! The fact that I'm consistently getting very sick within 1-3 weeks of every race is really getting on my nerves! So I'll line up with the 8s, leave the devices at home and just see what happens. Hopefully the warm sea air will fix me up!
Thanks fleetzz! That's the new plan, hoping i surprise myself.0
