You can't have a good Boston taper without a good final, final, final tune-up race for Boston.
This was only my third road race of the year vs 20 at this point last year. The timing for this race couldn't have been better, and was perfect for those looking for a fast 5K to tune-up for Boston, and that's what I used it for.
According to my online friend, Greg McMillan, he told me that I could run close to a 17 minute 5K based on my performance at the New Bedford Half back in March. My 5K PR up until now was 17:34, which was set on the same GT5K course last summa'.
I didn't believe Mark Blaisdell when he told me late last summer that I should be running closer to 17:10, than 17:30's. I tried and tried, but never could achieve it. I ended the GT5K 2010 summer series with a couple of duds over 18, and I never broke 18 during Fudge this year. It looked as though I had peaked at my least favorite distance, but of course, that was all before I started piling on the mileage for Boston.
This Boston training cycle seems to have done wonders for my overall running. From pounding hills, to track workouts, to long tempo runs, and putting up with Fil, I survived it all and tonight's race is what I am hoping is just the first by-product of all that training.
My A goal going into tonight's race was to break 17. I figured that even if I blew up going after my A goal that I I'd still have a good shot at achieving my B goal, which was to set a new 5K PR right before Boston.
I had plenty of company tonight as a record crowd of 281 runners gathered for the first rites of spring, including all of my wonderful running friends (in no particular order):
| AIMS CONEY |
| ALEXANDER FANOUS |
| ALEXEI LOMAKIN |
| ALICIA LEEMAN |
| AMANDA BENOIT |
| AMY MORRIS |
| AMY PAQUETTE |
| ANDREW HOUDE |
| ANDY BOURGUE |
| ANGELA KOTSIFAS |
| ANGIE DODGE |
| ANTONYO FEBO |
| APRIL COFFIN |
| BARBARA SCOLLAN |
| BARRY NEILL |
| BARRY PEARSON |
| BASH ZAGANJORI |
| BEN O'MEARA |
| BETH HOGAN |
| BILL MCCARTHY |
| BOB GANNON |
| BOBBY THERIAULT |
| BONNIE KINNAL |
| BRADLEY MIKESELL |
| BRENDA MACDONALD |
| BRENDAN GURRY |
| BRIAN DEMLEIN |
| BRIAN RISTUCCIA |
| BRIDGET DRISCOLL |
| BRYON MACSWEENEY |
| CHARLES WOODS |
| CHERYL VAREY |
| CHRISTINA RISTUCCI |
| CHRISTINE BRUNELLE |
| CHRISTINE MCPARTLA |
| CHRISTINE SULLIVAN |
| CHRISTOPHER SCHAFF |
| CHUCK MCALLISTER |
| CINDY CAMPBELL |
| CLINT OBRIEN |
| CRAIG ANDERSON |
| CRAIG LEMIRE |
| CRAIG MACKENZIE |
| CRAIG ROWE |
| DAN BEAULIEU |
| DANIEL HOUSTON |
| DANIELLE BANGS |
| DANIELLE MCPARTLAN |
| DANNY RIO |
| DAVE LABRODE |
| DAVE TYLER |
| DAVID ALLEN |
| DAVID HARDY |
| DAWN WILSON |
| DEBBIE DOHERTY |
| DEBORAH WHITE |
| DENA BROWN |
| DENISE UNDERWOOD |
| DON GATTON |
| DON KARDONG |
| DON PATCH |
| DONALD MILLER |
| DONNA NIVEN |
| DOUG ROBINSON |
| DOUGLAS KINNALL |
| ED BARTER |
| ED MORRISON |
| EDWARD BURNS |
| EJ HRYNOWSKI |
| ERYN GALLAGHER |
| FESTUS MBUVA |
| FIL FARIA |
| FRANK GEORGES |
| FRANK GORMAN JR |
| FRANK GORMAN SR |
| FRED HEBERT |
| FREDA RYDER |
| GARRETT THURSTON |
| GEORGE BISSON |
| GRETCHEN DESMOND |
| HEATHER SHEA |
| HELEN SULLIVAN |
| JAMES HALL |
| JAMES SHELTON |
| JASON BUI |
| JAY SHORT |
| JEFF ONEIL |
| JENNIE FROMENT |
| JENNIFER GOUVEIA |
| JENNIFER HALL |
| JENNIFER MAYNARD |
| JENNIFER PORTER |
| JESSICA COSTA |
| JESSICA LEEDBERG |
| JILL LOHMEIER |
| JIM GRANT |
| JIM PACHECO |
| JIM TROWSRIDGE |
| JOANNE DONOVAN |
| JOANNE ROY |
| JOE DONNELLY |
| JOEL CLABEAUX |
| JOHANNA RILEY |
| JOHN DUCHARME |
| JOHN JOHNSON |
| JOHN MELIA |
| JOHN OGGENFUSS |
| JOHN PERREAULT |
| JOHN SINGLETON |
| JONATHAN MACKENZIE |
| JONATHAN MORRIS |
| JONATHAN MUOLLO |
| JONATHAN SHEEHAN |
| JONATHAN WILK |
| JORDAN CLABEAUX |
| JOSEPH FORSTER |
| JUDY CHASE |
| JUDY GALLAGHER |
| JUDY MURPHY |
| JULIANE ST GEORGE |
| JULIE BUCHANAN |
| JULIE PINARD |
| JUSTIN QUINLAN |
| KAITLYN COX |
| KARA HAAS |
| KAREN COLANTUONIO |
| KAREN GRONDINE |
| KAREN HANNAN |
| KAREN LACHAPELLE |
| KAREN MIRANDA |
| KATE PACHECO |
| KATEY SULLIVAN |
| KATHRYN GOUVEIA |
| KATIE CREEGAN |
| KATIE MORIARTY |
| KELLY YONAKER |
| KERRI DESCHAINE |
| KERRI WILK |
| KERRY FENLON |
| KERRY HALL |
| KEVIN FALLON |
| KEVIN KALISH |
| KEVIN KUPSKI |
| KEVIN MOULTON |
| KEVIN MURPHY |
| KEVIN REYNOLDS |
| KEVIN SULLIVAN |
| KIM BUDRYK |
| KIM COLLINS |
| KIMBERLEE NUTTER |
| KRISTEN MCKENNEY |
| KRISTIN FOX |
| LAURA BROWN |
| LAURA CARPENTER |
| LAURA INGALLS |
| LAURA OGONOWSKI |
| LAUREN FRAZEE |
| LAURIE CALLAHAN |
| LEAH FITZPATRICK |
| LEE GITSCHIER |
| LEO DEMERS |
| LEO TOMETICH |
| LINDA MCCARTHY |
| LINDA MILOT |
| LINDA TACCINI |
| LINDSAY STUDRT |
| LIS GABIN |
| LISA BURKE |
| LISA DRISCOLL |
| LISA GOVONI |
| LOUIS FISH |
| LUIS ESCOBAR |
| LYLE REED |
| MARGE MCLAUGHLIN |
| MARIANNE LUCEY |
| MARIANNE SULLIVAN |
| MARIE YEAGER |
| MARK CODDAIRE |
| MARK CORBETT |
| MARK GALLAGHER |
| MARK ROBERTS |
| MARK SULLIVAN |
| MARY CASEY |
| MATTHEW MARTIN |
| MATTHEW SHAPIRO |
| MAYA JOHNSON |
| MCLEAN ROZEN |
| MEG XENAKIS |
| MICHAEL BALLERINI |
| MICHAEL CASSIDY |
| MICHAEL FAUVEL |
| MICHAEL MCHALE |
| MICHAEL MONTMINY |
| MICHAEL MURPHY |
| MICHAEL SHEEHAN |
| MICHEAL HAAS |
| MICHELE ROBBINS |
| MICHELLE ROCHE |
| MICHELLE SANTOS |
| MIKE GOVONI |
| MIKE SOHA |
| MOLLY LEARY |
| MYRA ROBINSON |
| NANCY PATCH |
| NAOMI MUNSAI |
| NATALIE REID |
| NATHAN TAYLOR |
| NEIL GOUVEIA |
| NICHOLAS BRUNELLE |
| NICOLE THURSTON |
| OLIVER MCMAHON |
| OWEY PEREIRA |
| PAMELA BECKWITH |
| PAMELA OGONOWSKI |
| PAUL ALCORN |
| PAUL HAGGERTY |
| PAUL RILEY |
| PAULA ACCOMAZZO |
| PAULA CULLEN |
| PAULA GREATOREX |
| PEG GIOLOSO |
| PENNI HART |
| PETER GOLDEN |
| PHILIP COLAMETA |
| PHILIP HUNT |
| RANDALL SHEAD |
| RENEE MOLINARI |
| RICH MILLER |
| RICHARD BRESLIN |
| RICHARD BROWN |
| RICHARD CHANEY |
| RICHARD DOYLE |
| RICHARD FAIAS |
| RICHARD MOLLOY |
| ROBERT FRIMANSON |
| ROBERT MCCOLLUM |
| ROBERT SMITH |
| ROBERT TIVEY |
| ROSA TEJADA |
| ROSE WASHAK |
| SARA KIRWIN |
| SARAH FANOUS |
| SARAH HARDY |
| SARAH MAHOWEY |
| SCOTT CASPER |
| SCOTT OBRIEN |
| SEAN DONNELLY |
| SEAN SILVA |
| SHAELAGH FLORENCE |
| SHANA HALL |
| SHERYL LABRECQUE |
| SLATER BARTLETT |
| SONIA RUAS |
| STACEY LEIGH |
| STACY TILNEY |
| STEPH RIDDLE |
| STEPHANIE SCHAFFER |
| STEVE MAHONEY |
| STEVEN GUERTIN |
| SUSAN BARTLETT |
| SUSAN BOURGUE |
| SUZANNE HARRING |
| TANYA HUGHES |
| TARA ALCORN |
| TERENCE MCCARTHY |
| TIFFANY PERRY |
| TIM CAMPBELL |
| TIM SULLIVAN |
| TITUS MUTINDA |
| TOBEY HARTMAN |
| TODD AMES |
| TOM AMIRO |
| TOM LUCEY |
| TRACIE BRENNAN |
| TRENTON HOYT |
| TRINA SHEEHAN |
| WENDY BERGIN |
| WENDY HAWKINS |
| WENDY STANICK |
| ZACHARY CASPER |
ZONA SHARFMAN (Photo Courtesy of Mike Stanwyk) |
My race strategy was to run fast and see if I could get under 17. It was that simple. Well, not that simple.
I knew I would need to average 5:27's for the entire race to get under 17, so I logically broke the course down into three 1 mile sections and focused my strategy that way.
On a side note, I had done extensive speed work on the treadmill and track coming into this race to acclimate myself to that pace, so it wasn't completely uncharted territory for me, but throw in some literal twists and turns and it's a different story.
Speaking of which, there are plenty of those on this course, which makes it a much more technical 5k course than most. You really have to know how to manuever (i.e. cut) around the corners to take advantage. I don't care what the Water Buffalo says, those corners are there to be cut!
I knew the first mile was going to be fast (it always is) due to the adrenaline and the slight downhill start, and hitting 5:27 through this stretch wasn't going to be difficult.
Joe, Titus, and Festus passed me at around .75 and never looked back.
I got through Mile 1 in 5:29. Oh well, what's two seconds going to matter...
Mile 2 is always rough for me and it's typically my slowest mile on this course. Even though I consciously made an effort to not fall asleep down the VFW stretch tonight, I still ended up logging my slowest mile on the night with a 5:40 second mile. Part of it has to do with the "hills" at the start of the Mile 2 and also the crown in the road near the end of it.
I was actually gaining ground on Titus and Festus through parts of Mile 2, and thought I had a chance to at least catch Festus going into Mile 3.
I hit the 2.5 mile mark in about 14 minutes, so I knew it was going to be close if I were to get under 17. I figure that it usually takes me about 2 mins and 40 seconds to cover my last 800 meters at track when I'm going top speed.
I also started to think about the 3-minute drills that I've been using during my treadmill workouts. I always end my treadmill runs with a 3-minute all-out sprint in order to simulate the end of a race. It was now time to implement it for real.
I quickly glanced at my Garmin and saw that I was hitting low 5's over the final quarter mile. When I looked back up I could finally see the finish line clock.
Festus was still out in front and not coming back to me any further, so I wasn't catching him this week. So much for an easy 18, Festus!
I hit the 3rd mile in 16:47 (another 5:40 mile) with .10 to go.
I completed the final .10 stretch in 16 seconds in what normally would have taken me about 20-25 seconds to cover previously.
The clock read 17:02 as I slapped Glenn a high-five at the finish. So, I guess those two seconds really did matter!
Oh well, at least now I have something to shoot for this spring and summer.
On a positive note, with this new PR I did, however, finally managed to break into the Top 50 (43rd) on the GT5K All-Time PR list. YAY for useless stats!
Congrats to all of the runners and those that set PR's tonight! 1 down 15 to go!
Well, this concludes the taper portion of the blog and, barring an injury at track tonight (I love tempting fate), most likely my last entry before the Big Day!
Thanks for reading and I'll see you on this side or the other...of the Boston finish line!
4 comments:
"I completed the final .10 stretch in 16 seconds in what normally would have taken me about 20-25 seconds to cover previously."
What does Mr. Bolt think about you exceeding his world record pace?
...psst. I think the 3rd mile marker is off!
Great run! Damn, you are coming around nicely for Boston.
BTW, I eactually crunched the numbers, and it's not world record pace, but the equivilent of a 9.94 100 meter instead.
Dang! I'm running the wrong distance! :) Yeah, the final stretch was actually .07 on my watch, but you get the idea. Thanks for keeping me honest though!
I ran the official 3.14 course, silly old water buffalo that I am.
Helluva run J, your progress has progressed from amazing to ridonculous. Don't stop now.
Enjoyed your blog posts... hope Monday goes well for you, Jason!
Post a Comment