I ran my first track race in 4 years yesterday – and it was a roller coaster of a run. I certainly learned a lot and took a lot away from the whole experience.
– I was supposed to race at 2:30, which would have been a better heat for me, but the races started early and mine went off at 2:25, so I ended up running in the next race.
– Started well, I felt I had good fitness and believed I could run around 5:10. First lap settled and was pretty comfortable with my pace, 76 for the first 400. Then it started to get hard.
– Went through 800 in 2:35, and was feeling it by now. I’d forgotten / failed to remind myself to engage with the discomfort / pain when it happened. Result was 2-fold, firstly I slowed down as didn’t have the fitness I thought, which was compounded by a mental attitude that was crumbling & closing in on itself. Wanting to stop, not enjoying and everything else that this entailed. None of which was helpful and classic threat over challenge response.
– Went through 1200 at 3:58 and with 200 to go begun to pick it up again – which is where the picture (thanks Nic) from above comes, home straight finishing strong and looking good, which for me is unusual as I’m normally a lot more ragged.
– Finished on watch 5:20, official time 5:22.
– Achilles OK and enjoyed running in spikes. No come back later Sat PM or today.
– When I entered this I had the main goals: Not to get injured training / running the mile (after last years experience) which I managed. To run the mile in spikes and not get hurt, which I managed and to run 5:20, which I hit. Whilst looking good at the end.
Where I felt frustrated / disappointed is in how insular and self-absorbed I was. I really didn’t use / think about the race as a competition with those around me, using the other runners and running with the other runners, letting them pull me along. I guess this is partly due to running alone pretty much all the time and a lack of experience. This something to bear in mind at the Tracksmith 5k in July. Here I’m looking forward to running a race as opposed to looking for a time.
I should do more of these, running at my standard and not above where I am.
