Race report: Hank Aaron State Trail 5K: *THAT* close

[Ryan]

A little history with this race. I've run it probably the last 5 years, give or take, and I ran it once in about 2001. The course changed a couple of times as the trail was being developed but settled about 3-4 years ago on the current course, starting and finishing just east of Miller Park and basically doing an out and back to the east from there. Looking at the course, it seems like it should be fairly fast but I've found over the years that I'm not the only one who finds it to be deceptively slow. I'm always in the low-17s at this race, more than once I believe being 17:0-something. Every year, I say this is the year I dip under 17. Last year, I think I was ready to do so but some storms that delayed the race and had me warming up 3 times did me in. This year, I'm fit but will my marathon focus leave me without the speed to go sub-17? This is also a team event. I'm slated to be our 3rd finisher and our team captain put me in with a 16:45. Normally, I'd say no sweat but on this course? Well, it doesn't matter. All I can do is run as fast as I can, beat as many guys as possible, and see where that leaves me.


At the start of my warmup, I wasn't feeling too good but the warmup got me going. I could tell that, while it wasn't as hot as it has been recently, it was still humid and the clouds were beginning to break up as I was warming up. If the sun comes out, this could get ugly. Even if it doesn't, the humidity is a bit stifling. I ran for about 10 minutes, loosened up some, then did about a half mile at close to race pace. Some more loosening up, a few strides, and I was feeling pretty good.


At the gun, I got out good but a large lead pack, mostly made up of singlets from our team rivals, was out. This isn't looking good for the team competition, though I know in the past not all of the singlets were actually on their team so I was keeping the hope. Brian Udovich and I worked our way into a good spot in the second pack, then at about a half mile Ted Shue pulled up next to us. I was a bit surprised to see Ted and was a bit worried that this might mean I'm getting out a bit slow but I stuck with the plan. The pack shuffled around some in the first mile but, to my surprise, Ted was shoulder to shoulder with me at the mile mark. I did hit the mile right where I wanted to be, 5:20. I guess Ted is just getting out fast today.


At the beginning of the second mile, I pushed it a bit before we started the real uphill. I passed a pair of guys running shoulder to shoulder, wearing blue and red singlets. As soon as we started going up, they passed me back. Once we crested the most significant climb, I passed them back and began working on others. Around the turnaround, which I ran pretty poorly and lost and had to regain all my momentum, I believe I was still ahead of both of these guys. On the way back, both went blazing past me but I decided to stick to them. Blue singlet seemed to be running the show with red singlet just hanging on to him. I just hung on to red singlet until they both seemed to be slowing down so I passed them again. I believe it was right around here that we hit the 2 mile mark, 10:51. I know mile 2 is a bit slow because of the hill but I also knew this put me on the borderline of being able to pull off a sub-17. I was looking at the guys ahead of me and trying to work my way up to them, noticing that the next 4 guys were all wearing singlets from our rivals. That just makes me want to get them even more. Just then, blue singlet came by again and I did my best to respond. I lost some ground on him but, to my surprise, no red singlet this time. I was trying hard to use blue singlet to pull me through to the rival runners and we were gaining on them (with me about 5 steps behind blue singlet). With a bit more than a half mile to go, we moved off the street and on to the trail. At this point, I was within reach of two of the rival runners and I told myself I have to get them before it comes down to the kick. I went right between them, first inside then outside, as they were about 2-3 steps apart and obviously one wasn't running the tangents well. I tried my hardest to pour it on so they wouldn't hang with me but I could hear their footsteps and breathing behind me. As we came up a rise to go over a bridge with about 200-300 yards to go, I still knew at least a couple of guys were right on my back. After taking the turn onto the bridge, almost instantly someone goes by me. I see the website of our rivals on his back and realize this is one of their singlets (they seem to have about 5 different styles). I tried hard to stay with him but I just didn't have the wheels. Around the final turn, right at 3 miles, and I knew I wasn't catching anyone. I just tried to no avail to pour it on to keep anyone from coming up behind me and to give myself a shot at sub-17. With 50 yards to go, Ted came flying by me with his patented kick, along with a guy wearing one of our rival's singlets. I had nothing to respond. I wasn't feeling tired but I just had no wheels to go any faster. I ended up watching the finish line clock tick away as I tried with everything to find another gear. 16:56...57...58 (Ted finishes)...59...17:00...17:01 (I finish). Darn! So close! I just didn't have that extra gear today to bring it home. I guess it's the marathon training, sapping just enough of my speed to keep me still looking for a sub-17 on this course.


I think this is the only road 5K course I haven't run sub-17 on. At most races, sub-17 is just a given and I'm thinking more about 16:30 or faster. Heck, I ran sub-17 a couple of years ago after running 20 miles pre-race and that was a course that looked more difficult than this one. There's just something about this course. It got me again.


Still, it was a heck of a race. I'm quite sure this is the fastest I've ever run on this course and the only thing that kept me from sub-17, along with a poor turnaround, was that I didn't have the wheels for it. I suppose that comes with marathon training, though I think there are things I can do differently to lessen the loss of speed. I know I can go sub-17 on this course. I guess I just get to try again next year.


For finishing second in my age group, I got 2 entries (I still don't get that) into a 5K race on September 25th. Great. I just went from 5 races including a marathon in 9 weekends to 6 races in 9 weekends if I do this and what do they think I'm supposed to do with the second entry? I was 4 seconds from winning my age group, which would have netted me a nice Timex watch.


All said, I'm satisfied with this race. It was a good race. This is the first time ever that either Ted or I can remember that he beat me but he did so by running a gutsy, very strong race. It was a good final tune up for the marathon and, given that the marathon is right around the corner, about what I should have expected. I wasn't really tired out there but I just didn't have the speed to bring it home faster. Once the marathon is over and I'm ready to get back into it, assuming I still have time before the next races, I was already intending to work the speed hard. This just shows me that will be the right thing to do.

By the numbers:
16th overall (2nd 30-34, 4 seconds behind 1st)
17:01

[cesar]

Nice race. It seems that this year were more competition than previous years. Well, i think that you can run 2:45 or faster in 2 weeks in the marathon. Keep up the good work.

[Andrew A.]

Well done!  Eh, what does 17:00 really mean, anyway?  If you want to run fast, get on a track. 

[cesar]

Photos:


http://runningintheusa.smugmug.com/Run/2010-Events/Hank-Aaron/13334653_aNz8g#969394244_6cnr6

[Ryan]

Thanks guys. Andrew, I know 17:00 is just a number but I've run this course enough to know that sub-17 should be within reach and would be a good sign of solid fitness. I believe this is also the only 5K road course I've run that I haven't gone sub-17 on. I know, if I want to run fast, step on the track. If I did so, though, sub-17 would be an afterthought, as it is on most road courses.

Cesar, thanks for the link (I think). Page 5 has a picture of me shortly after passing the 2 rivals. I guess I was working it pretty hard there, the look on my face suggests I was hurting pretty bad by then.

[Andrew A.]

Speaking of track, done any speed development? 

[Ryan]

I was actually watching the speed development video a day or two before the race and that or some variation of it is one of the things I have in mind for training changes.

[Andrew A.]

As my comment indicated, this is something I recall doing in college and, honestly (and unfortunately), I really have not given it much thought since then.  Were I aiming to get back to racing 800m-5000m, this is something (along with a lot of the form drills I never forgot) that I would be doing.  Even with 5K+ racing in mind, this is something I will be working towards integrating into training.

[Ryan]

Indeed, this is something I saw our middle distance runners doing a lot of. I didn't do much of it myself, though we would pull out a few similar workouts in our peaking/sharpening phases. It is something I would definitely be interested in if I ventured down in distance and is even something I'm curious about with my current goal distances.

By the way, results are up but for what I believe is the second year on a row, they screwed up. I believe it was last year that they slipped someone who did not finish in front of me into the results a second ahead of me after the fact. They did the same thing again.

http://www.onlineraceresults.com/race/view_race.php?race_id=15488

[RB]

Ryan, you refer to "rivals" a lot at this race..who are you talking about???

[Ryan]

Our rivals are a team sponsored by a local running store that competes against InStep, the running store that sponsors me. We have a pretty strong but friendly rivalry with some pretty closely matched team competitions at a few races that have team events.

[RB]

 
 
Oh yeah, that would be Performance Running Outfitters. It's funny, you mention "5 diferent styles" of their singlets. Looking at the pictures, they seem very consistant and easy to spot. I couldn't find a picture of you.
 
Team results here:
 
http://onlineraceresults.com/race/view_plain_text.php?race_id=15489

[Ryan]

Well, here are the ones I was seeing most of the time. Note, I'm not saying there is anything wrong with their singlets. They set their team standard and it is their right to use whatever they want. As far as I care, they can all bare chest it and call their chest hair the team singlet. I would also say that both styles of their black ones are quite easy to spot. The blue one, which is what the guy who passed me on the bridge was wearing, is always hard for me to recognize as them until I see their url. Of course, again, that's their choice. In fact, maybe it's even a good competitive tactic.

http://runningintheusa.smugmug.com/Run/2010-Events/Hank-Aaron/13334653_aNz8g#969420121_4Aru8

http://runningintheusa.smugmug.com/Run/2010-Events/Hank-Aaron/13334653_aNz8g#969423061_HqrWA

http://runningintheusa.smugmug.com/Run/2010-Events/Hank-Aaron/13334653_aNz8g#969423850_oEeAx

[RB]

 
 
Ryan, I am pretty sure the guy in the solid blue singlet (1563) isn't on their team, but likely an employee. As far as consistant singlets, don't even get me started about Ted's orange one...
 
Either way I think they put the url on the back for a reason, which you now know why. I wonder who's idea that was? Pretty clever though...

[Ryan]

I'm not sure if he is a team member or not but, when not sure, assume they are, right? As for the orange singlets a couple of team members have, there are a lot of people, including some team members, who you don't want to get started on those. The official word from the team manager, though, is that you are to wear the official (formerly white, now transitioning to red as they get them out to team members) team uniform at events such as this one.

Putting the url on the back is simply good marketing. If I were making up a singlet, that would be a must, if not the whole logo like InStep does on all of their official team uniforms.