Hello Humidity!

Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer, and the weather fell in line! The Ringing In Hope: A Salute to Our Troops 5K race was humid and sticky, and I threw myself right into it. Yes, the name of the race is really long!

I had run the Lawyers Have Heart 5K just 9 days prior, but the two races were like apples and oranges in terms of course profile and weather. I also brought a different mindset with me to Ringing In Hope: to survive! I wasn't trying to set any kind of course PR, I just wanted to run really hard and see what I could do.

As I mentioned in my last race report, I identified the cause of my sluggishness as the side effects from a new iron supplement. According to my Fitbit, my daily readiness for that day was 15 out of 100, with an elevated resting heart rate and a low HRV. I wasn't getting the sleep I needed and I was feeling like crap because of an overabundance of B vitamins.

I switched to an iron supplement that's iron only, and I started to feel better almost immediately. My Fitbit readiness score for this Memorial day race was 93 out of 100. Huge difference.

Before the Race
Greg and I arrived at the race about 50 minutes before it started. I picked up my bib, pinned it on, and went to the bathroom. It was raining very lightly, which I knew would be welcome once I started racing, but at 64 degrees, it made things a little chilly while I was just standing around. 

I started my warm up on the course. I looked around for my friend Stephanie, who would be running the 10K, but I didn't see her anywhere. Towards the end of my warmup, I spotted my friend Nilani and we shared about five minutes of running together. During this time, I had a caffeinated Maurten gel.

The warm up allowed me to scope out the course. This race has been going on for over 15 years, but the location has changed multiple times. I had run this "Ringing In Hope" race before, but never on this course. I had run this course as a 10K before (just last winter), but the 5K course is totally different. I think only the first mile is the same and then the courses come back together right before the finish line. To clear up any confusion, Ringing In Hope has a December race (5K and 10K) and a Memorial Day race (5K and 10K). 

I won this race on a different course back in 2018. First overall female!

On my personal weather scale, this race gets a 3 out of 10. 64 degrees with dew point of 64. Very muggy. It lightly rained during the warm up and started raining heavily about 20 minutes after we finished. But unfortunately it did not rain while we were running, which I think would have helped cool me off. I was very grateful I hadn't decided to run the 10K!

I decided to wear the Mizuno Hyperwarp Elite. I absolutely LOVE these shoes, but my Achilles tendons don't like them. They have a 3.5mm drop which puts a strain on my Achilles the next day. They always feel great when I wear them, but then I pay for it the following day. I've struggled with insertional Achilles tendinopathy for over 8 years. I love the fit, and the ride. Unlike most carbon fiber racers, they aren't "mushy" and you actually get some ground feel. At the same time, they are also propulsive. 

Mile 1

Mile 1: 6:31
This race has a fast start, and when I ran the 10K last winter, I think my first mile was around 6:30. I didn't look at my watch because I didn't want to feel intimidated by a fast pace. I don't remember too much else about this mile, given that the race was held a week ago and I was already in the pain cave during mile 1!

Mile 2: 7:00
What goes down must come up. Yikes, this is slower than my half marathon pace! But a humid, uphill mile in a 5K can do that to you. My average heart rate for this mile was 174, which according to my recent VO2 max test is Zone 5. Anaerobic. And that was the average for the whole mile! That was my max HR at the end of the previous 5K. I was working hard, that's for sure. 

Mile 3: 6:56
And I never quite recovered from it! Mile 3 had some inclines and declines, but the limiting factor here was that my legs and my body were cooked from mile 2. My heart rate averaged 173 and I was holding on for dear life. 

Final Kick: 5:42 pace
As I approached the finish line, I saw the clock ticking towards 21:00. I really wanted to be under 21:00 and I fought hard for it.

My official time was 20:59

After The Race
After finishing, I met up with Greg and we went back out to the course to watch the 10K finishers come in. The 10K started 10 minutes before the 5K, so there were a mix of 5K and 10K finishers coming in all together. We saw my friend Hannah coming in and then Stephanie. Greg took really amazing photos of both of them!

Final Kick

Then I cooled down for about two miles with Stephanie. Whenever I run a race with Stephanie, she is always so dedicated about doing a cool down. I tend to slack, and if left to my own devices, I only end up running one mile, and sometimes even less. But it goes by much faster with a friend!

The rain started coming down harder and I got a latte from one of the vendors at the finish line festival. While I was waiting for my latte they started the awards, so I missed hearing them call my name. But they waved me over when they saw me approach. I won first place in my age group (40-49) which meant a gift certificate to our local running store. Stephanie also won first place in our age group for the 10K.

Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways
I'm really happy with how this race went. Even though my 10K pace on this course last winter was 6:38, I know that the humidity was the limiting factor and I did the best I could. When the weather is a 3 out of 10 on my personal scale vs. a 10 out of 10, you get a faster 10K pace than 5K pace.

I sometimes wonder "could I have run that faster" and the answer is usually yes, because in hindsight you can usually think of areas where you could have executed differently. But in this case, my heart rate data tells the story. I can't even believe I was able to sustain that kind of Zone 5 heart rate for so long.

This race has confirmed my love of the Mizuno Hyperwarp Elite as my favorite carbon fiber racing shoe. I will wear it for the July 4th 5K and pay the price on July 5th! Thankfully, my Achilles only suffered for one day post race and then they started to feel normal again. It really helps to add a heel insert into my daily trainers. Unfortunately, the Mizuno shoes won't accommodate any kind of insert, even when cut down to fit the shoe. My average cadence was 200 steps per minute, which shows that these shoes are a good match for my high cadence style. In the ASICS Metaspeed Edge, my cadence was 197.

It was also nice to feel positive again! As I mentioned in my previous post, I had some negative feelings towards my performance and this time there was not a negative thought to be had. I also felt some redemption from the Lawyers Have Heart 5K. This race had twice the elevation and the weather was worse: same temperature but with a much higher dew point.

I'll continue to orient my training around the 5K distance for the next five weeks, and then it's time to jump back into marathon training. 

Kicking off 5K Season

I'm behind on my blog posts. I have two 5Ks to write about, the first of which is the Laywers Have Heart 5K from May 16. 

After the Boston Marathon, I took eight days off from running, relaxed at a resort in Cancun, and then came back feeling refreshed. I only had time for two speed workouts before the first 5K. One of them was an interval workout using my Boston marathon time of 3:24:52 to guide the intervals. 3 minutes, 2 minutes, 4 minutes, 5 minutes, 2 minutes - all with half duration recovery jogs. It ended up being the perfect way to get the legs moving again. I also ran a short track workout of 3 x 600, 400, 200 with just 1 minute rests in between. Other than those two workouts, I relied on my baseline speed and residual Boston Marathon fitness. 

Background
Because May is typically a "down" month in terms of training, I figured it would be a good time to finally get my blood work checked. I've had a Function Health subscription for six months, but the timing to get the blood drawn never worked out. Plus, my doctor ordered blood work last December, and that panel covered a lot of what Function would test for. They ran over 100 tests and it was interesting to see the results. Almost everything was in the healthy range, and the only thing that stood out as needing to be addressed was my ferritin level, which was very low at 22. Apparently this is common in athletes. I started taking an iron supplement that also contained a lot of B vitamins just 4 days before the 5K. Lesson learned: don't start a new supplement a few days before a race, even if it's not a goal race! 

The test also confirmed that my hormone levels are typical of a 47-year-old, which is consistent with perimenopause. Thankfully, I haven’t had any symptoms of this, but I know it can cause women to slow down. I kept wondering when it would finally come for me. 

I have run this Lawyers Have Heart race more than 15 times, although today's version of it looks nothing like what it used to. It used to be strictly a 10K and it was held at an entirely different location in the month of June. My goal was to beat my time from last year, which was 21:04. 

When I ran the race last year, I had a lot working against me. I had just moved houses the weekend before (hello life stress), the weather was humid, and I had very little training under my belt. My Boston training cycle last year was plagued by a cranky hamstring, so I had done practically no speed work. 

I was fairly certain that I would run a faster race this year. Better weather, more training, less life stress. However, I still wasn't in my best 5K shape, so I set a "low bar" goal of simply running faster than 21:04. It's a fast course: mostly flat with just one notable hill at the beginning of the last mile.

Before the Race
I arrived at the race with plenty of time to warm up. I had already retrieved my bib a few days prior, so I didn't need to worry about that. I had a caffeinated Maurten gel 15 minutes before the race start and then lined up in the corral. Once there, I met a girl who had recognized me from the 2024 race. She said she wanted to be just a little slower than I was that year, and it would be great if she could use me as motivation and keep me in her sights. In 2024 I had run 20:37, and I thought that was probably where I would end up this year too.

It was 62 degrees, sunny, 6-8 mph winds, and moderate humidity. I think the dew point was around 52. Definitely not as humid as last year. On my personal weather scale, I give it a 5 out of 10. My personal weather scale is absolute, so even though this was relatively good weather for mid-May, it's far from my ideal of 40 degrees and low humidity. 

I wore the ASICS Metaspeed Edge Paris. I had never raced in these shoes, but I had worn them in a few workouts. I liked that they were bouncy and supposedly designed for high-cadence runners like me. Plus, they matched my outfit perfectly, and that brought me joy.

Mile 1

Mile 1: 6:39
The race started and it was surprisingly crowded the first mile. A ton of people sprinted out of the gate, getting ahead of me and then started slowing down about five minutes into the race. At that exact time, the course narrowed significantly, making it almost impossible to pass people. If two people were running at the exact same pace next to each other, forget about passing them. I was running faster than most people around me and did a lot of weaving in order to pass them. I didn't let it bother me too much and thankfully that narrow portion of the course only lasted for about half a mile. 

Mile 2: 6:44
During the second mile I played leap frog with my friend from the start line. It was helpful to have her near me and she was very encouraging as she heard me gasping for breath. At this point I noticed the headwind, and while I don't think it slowed me down too much, it made everything feel even harder. I noticed Greg on the opposite side of the course and that was a nice pick-me-up!

Mile 3: 6:49
Then came the only major hill of the race. The first half of the last mile was brutal. With less than a mile to go, I tried to stay strong up the hill, but I felt my tank emptying quickly. Finally, we hit a turnaround and then it was downhill, followed by a flat stretch to the finish. I knew I needed to make up time, so I gunned it hard. I was able to sprint ahead of my start-line friend and another woman in our vicinity. There were no other women in my line of sight to chase. The final mile shows as 6:49, but I’m guessing it was closer to 7:10 for the first half and 6:30 for the second.

Mile 3

I ran hard towards the finish line, with an official time of 21:06.

After the Race
I was instantly disappointed when I crossed the finish line, which is not like me at all. Usually I default to having a positive attitude. I had not expected my final mile to be a slow as it was, and I was disappointed that I wasn't any faster than last year. I thought it was a super low bar. We had better weather this year and I know I was in better shape.  Even though this wasn't an "A" race for me, I was caught off guard by not being able to hit my target - I had believed it to be totally attainable.

All that being said, the weaving that I did in the first mile made my Garmin distance longer than last year, so my Garmin showed a faster pace this year. I know, I am really grasping at straws to find a silver lining! Last year Garmin had me at 6:43 average pace for 3.14 miles. This year, it had me at 6:42 average pace for 3.16 miles. But still, I couldn't shake the feeling that I expected to be about 20 seconds faster.

Well, I thought to myself, I think I probably won my age group at least. I looked up the results online and they weren't loaded yet. So I didn't even have that to mollify my disappointment. I met up with Greg and my friend Chad. For the past few years I have been running this race as part of Chad's law firm's team. I would guess at least half of the runners were lawyers as this is a big event for the DC area legal community to raise money for the American Heart Association. 

Chad and me post race

Because the results weren't loading online, we stuck around for the age group awards to be presented in
person. But then those got delayed and we were tired of waiting so we decided to leave. As we were leaving, the results finally popped up on the website. I was shocked to see that another women in my age group beat me by 1 second, and her clock time was the exact same as mine. Weird, because there were no women around me when I finished.

When I looked at the photos that Greg had taken, sure enough, there was a young guy with a bib number in the women's 40-49 category finishing near me. Because this is mainly a charity race for lawyers, it's likely that the bib owner gave her bib to her son or a young colleague without understanding that it impacts the results. This has happened to me in the past and the timing company is usually quick to correct it (and they did the following day). 

Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways
I was surprised that I didn't run faster than last year given better fitness and conditions, and I was also surprised that it put me in a bad mood. Why did this bother me so much? I think it goes back to that fear I mentioned above about slowing down with age. I know it will happen eventually and I will have to accept it, but after getting those test results, it had been more of a focus in recent days. 

Over the next few days, my sleep was highly disturbed, my resting heart rate spiked, and my HRV dropped. My FitBit showed my daily readiness as 15 for two days in a row. I had no idea what was going on so I took extra rest days. Maybe I was getting sick? Maybe it was allergies? After all, I had been sneezing my head off. But then, it all clicked. I was texting with my sister about iron supplements, and she pointed out that the one I was taking had all of this extra stuff in it that wasn't necessary. I researched it and boom- my new iron supplement was packed with a high dose of B vitamins that can absolutely impact sleep, recovery, and resting heart rate. And I had started taking that supplement several days before the race. This supplement contained 12,500% of the recommended allowance of B12. It also had 294% of the recommended allowance for B6. 

Do I feel stupid for not closely reading all the nutrition facts on my supplement? Yes. Do I feel stupid for starting a new supplement a few days before a 5K? Yes. Do I still worry that I have started to slow down because of age and hormones? Not yet! Instead, I am optimistic that once I get the iron and ferritin right, I can actually actually be faster. 

Finally, to show some amazing consistency, here is a comparison of my splits from last year vs. this year:

2025: 6:40, 6:44, 6:51 (5:59 pace for 0.14)
2026: 6:39, 6:44, 6:48 (5:56 pace for 0.16)

So even though I was initially disappointed, I learned a lot and I had a fun experience! Now it's time to get my ferritin levels up and acclimate to the summer heat and humidity.

Thankful for Trotting

Every year that I run a Turkey Trot is a year that I am thankful for! I recently ran my 20th Turkey Trot, and my 16th "Virginia Run" Turkey Trot. I'm a few weeks late in blogging about it because I have been having trouble seeing words my computer monitor. (That's another post coming at some point).

At three weeks post marathon, I wasn't too optimistic about this race. Add on the two weeks of zero running prior to the marathon and it felt like forever since I had run under a 7:00 pace. I didn't have a goal time, but I knew I wanted to give it everything I had.

Before the Race
We used to live about 10 minutes away from the race but we have since moved farther. There are several Turkey Trots closer to our new home, but I like the tradition that comes with this particular Turkey Trot. I have run it every year since 2006 except for 2019-2022 when they briefly stopping hosting the race. To be 100% accurate, the race came back in 2022 but I was unaware of it.

We gave ourselves about 30 minutes to drive to the race. I had retrieved my bib the day before so I wouldn't have to worry about it on race morning. I got out of the car, made my way to the porta potty, and then resumed the warm up. 

It was 38 degrees, partly sunny, and 4-5 mph winds. On my personal weather scale I give this a 10 out of 10. Ideal! The Turkey Trot is the only race of the year which almost always has predictably good weather. Summer races are out. Early fall is hit or miss. Spring is hit or miss. Late fall is relatively stable. I wore shorts, a tank top, arm sleeves and the New Balance SC Pacer 2. This shoe is one of my favorites for the 5K distance.

During my warm up, I had a caffeinated Maurten gel 15 minutes before race start. I gave my jacket to Greg at around that same time and he walked to his first viewing point for photos. I miss the days when we both ran this race, but his long-term injury has prevented him from running as much as he used to.

I lined up about 4 rows back and felt ready to go. My plan was to not look at my watch very much and just run HARD.

Mile 1: 6:28
I would have predicted a first mile time of around 6:28, only it looks better on paper than it actually was. Based on the granular data from my watch, and also on how I felt, I ran this more like a 6:10 half mile followed by a 6:50 half mile! I got pulled out WAY too fast. I was focused on my leg turnover and I started moving them way too quickly out of the gate. By the time I reached the first mile marker I was the 2nd or 3rd female. I don't quite remember!

Mile 2: 6:43
This mile contains a notable hill, so it's not that much of a drop-off, but I felt like I was running much harder than a 6:43 average. One woman passed me during this mile, which motivated me to keep up. I don't remember much else about this mile other than a spectator telling me that I had great form. 

Mile 3: 6:35
Once again we have a mile that looks good on paper, but there was a net elevation loss, so I would have hoped to run around 6:25. I kept trying to catch the woman ahead of me who wasn't all that far ahead, but to no avail. I am sure it didn't help that I was panting so loudly that she knew I was trailing her closely. I'm not exactly a stealth runner. 

Final Kick: 5:54 pace
I didn't have much left in my legs and this was a true battle, but I was happy to find another gear. After crossing the finish line I began dry heaving. So there's no doubt I gave 100% effort.

Official Finish time: 20:29.  

I won my age group (out of 47 runners) and was the 4th overall female. I was 4 seconds slower than last year. This was my 4th fastest Virginia Run Turkey Trot, with 2018, 2017, and 2024 being 1st - 3rd. 

Afterwards, I chatted briefly with the 3rd place woman who ran 4 seconds faster than me. I knew her sister, who was also at the race.

Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways
I'm pleased with my performance because I know I worked very hard and gave 100% effort. I wish had paced it better at the beginning and hadn't decided to ignore my watch entirely. As I said at the beginning, I am always thankful to show up to these turkey trots healthy and able to run at a high intensity. 

Here is a graph of my times at this race over the years. I wonder if I will ever break 20:00 again on this course. I was thrilled when I did it at the age of 40, and would love to experience that again.

Donut Dash 5K

One might assume that a late August 5K in the Washington DC area would be warm and humid. But
amazingly, the Donut Dash last Sunday was 58 degrees with low humidity. It must have been among the coolest mornings this area has ever seen for August 31. 

The weather was so good, I'll start out with my personal weather scale. The race gets a 10 out of 10. There was almost no wind, and while I usually consider 58 warmer than ideal for racing, it was perfect for a shorter distance, especially since I was already acclimated to the heat. And the low humidity was hugely helpful too. 

Before the Race

I switched up my pre-race routine a bit and instead of having my normal almond butter-filled pretzels, I drank half a packet of UCAN energy drink. I figured the UCAN would sustain me longer. Before leaving the house, I laced up my New Balance SC Pacer shoes, which I had determined were my favorite shoes for the 5K. But then I looked in my closet and I saw that the Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 PB matched my shorts so perfectly. I had worn these shoes in the Firecracker 5K and they worked well there, so I figured I would swap them out because I simply could not turn down wearing a pair of perfectly coordinated shoes. 

Another point of coordination was my outfit. I wore leopard print shorts and I had a leopard print leg bandage to wrap. Why the bandage? That's a topic for a blog I plan to write soon. But as long as I needed to wear bandages around my lower right leg, I made sure to coordinate them to my outfit! So the leopard print bandage matched the print of my shorts, and the Brooks Hyperion Elite matched the color scheme. I was delighted by this!

Greg and I drove to the race, parked near the start and I picked up my bib. Everything went very smoothly. I saw a few friends at packet pickup and we chatted briefly. 

Then I warmed up on the course for 2.4 miles and I had a caffeinated Maurten gel 20 minutes before race start. 

Goals and Strategy
I am in the midst of training for the Indianapolis Monumental marathon, so this was not a goal race for
me. My purpose was to practice racing, have fun at the race, and get a solid speed workout in. Time-wise I wanted to set a course PR. The Donut Dash is run on the Fairfax Corner course, which is used in the Frosty 5K, the Veterans Day 5K, the Run Your Heart Out 5K and more! I had run this course in 8 different races over the years and my fastest time on it was 21:01 from last December at the Frosty 5K. My goal was to beat that time. 

I looked at my mile-by-mile splits from the Frosty 5K and my pacing strategy was to run slightly faster for each mile. Running under 21 minutes on this course would be a huge accomplishment because it's very hilly. 

Mile 1
I started out a little slower than most of the runners around me and then passed many of them during the first downhill. The race starts downhill and it's easy to go out way too fast. I felt strong and fast but kept the pace controlled. The time to beat was 6:33 and I did so in 6:31. That was only two seconds faster than December, so I didn't have a lot of room for error. 

In terms of placing, I wasn't exactly sure how many women were ahead of me, but I knew it was at least three. I wasn't running close to any women as the mile finished out and whatever place I was at that point would be the same place I finished in. Unfortunately my leg bandage slid down my leg during this mile which was a little annoying. It was fine to have the wounds uncovered because they had mostly scabbed over, but I wished I had made the bandage tighter. The main purpose was to keep them protected from the sun to prevent scarring.

Mile 2
This mile was hard but I focused on staying positive and mentally strong. I focused on my form and my rhythm. This mile is rolling hills-- never flat. It seems to go on forever and the hills feel way too long. I passed a few guys during this mile, but no women. My Frosty split was 6:39, so I was delighted to clock in at 6:35. I was now six seconds ahead of my December time. But I was by no means "safe".

Mile 3
This mile is killer. The final hill of the run feels long and steep and comes at a time when you are already exhausted. I expected this to be a huge struggle. However, I was pleasantly surprised! For the first time, this hill did not seem so massive or steep. I am not sure if it's because I live in a hillier area now or if the Pilates classes have made my legs stronger. It was definitely challenging but not quite as painful as I remember it from my previous 8 races. My December split was 6:52 and I clocked in at 6:45. A full seven seconds faster! 

The Finish
I gained another 2 seconds on Frosty in the final kick, and crossed the finish line in an official time of 20:46.

I beat my December time on this course by 15 seconds, setting a new course PR!

• I placed 1st in my age group (45-49) out of 54.
• I was the 5th overall female finisher out of 439.
• I placed 20th overall out of 790 runners.

After the Race
I was thrilled with my performance! I got my medal and then reunited with Greg and my friend Laura, who had come out to cheer for me. After a quick chat, I ran a cool down of just over a mile. Then it was time for donuts and the awards ceremony. They wouldn't have a "donut dash" without offering donuts as the finish line food! I won a gift certificate to my local running store, which covered about half of my race entry. 

Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways
This was a good speed check! The Frosty 5K was about 10 weeks before the One City Marathon and this Donut Dash was about 10 weeks before Indianapolis. I'm 15 seconds ahead, so I think a PR is realistic for me in November. Of course you can't base your marathon time on a 5K, but it's a good data point. I like to race regularly (once a month) to practice pushing hard and flexing my mental muscles. 

Most of my time savings came on the final hill, which shows my legs are stronger than they were in December. That could be from Pilates, from training on hilly terrain, or both. 

The Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 PB performed really well. They are a fast shoe and they are a contender for my marathon along with three other shoes. Most importantly, they matched my outfit perfectly!

The weather was gorgeous and this race was the perfect way to spend a morning outdoors.

It was awesome to spend time with my friend Laura post race and it meant a lot that she came to cheer for me. Greg, Laura and I enjoyed breakfast together at one of my favorite local spots.  

Firecracker 5K: Fast, Fiery, and Fun!

I ran my annual Firecracker 5K today. I have run this race almost every year since 2010, with my course PR being 20:28 from last year.

If I am in good shape, I usually try to set a course PR. It's always hot, hilly, and measures 3.17 on my watch, so it's not a good comparison to a Turkey Trot or other 5Ks I run. But it's a great year-over-year comparison. 

Background
With the move, my training took a back seat so I ran some less-than-stellar 5Ks earlier in the season. I ran a time of 21:04 in mid-May and a time of 21:02 at the evening track 5000m. After the track 5K, I knew I needed to focus on 5K-specific training if I wanted any chance at getting a course PR at Firecracker. 

My training consisted of hill repeats, track workouts, medium long runs, and Pilates classes. I was very consistent with all of these for the entire month of June. We had several heat waves in June, which made things particularly challenging, but I adjusted my expectations for paces and was able to complete all of my workouts. By contrast, we had freakishly good weather in June of 2024 with plenty of low-humidity mornings. 

Before the Race
I woke up at 4:00 naturally, having fallen asleep at 9:00. I had a few almond butter pretzels at around 5:45 and then started to get ready for the race. I got a new stars and stripes outfit for this race, even though I already have several of them, because I didn't want to wear the same thing as last year. I actually prefer last year's outfit, but it will make an appearance again in 2026. 

I decided to wear the Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 PB. I had done several track workouts in them and they had felt really fast. My paces in them had always exceeded what I thought I was running, so I figured I would try them out. I didn't want to wear the Nike Alphafly because those felt like too much "shoe" during the Track 5000m. I seriously considered the New Balance SC Pacer 2, but I had already run two 5Ks in them and I figured I would give the Brooks a chance. 

Wetting my hair pre-race

Greg and I arrived 50 minutes ahead of time. I had retrieved my bib in advance so I didn't have to worry about doing that. Our first order of business was to find the porta potties. They weren't where I expected them to be but it wasn't long before I found them. After that I began my warm up. I like to keep the warm up short for summer races so as not to get too warm before the race even starts. I poured water on my head to get my hair nice and wet. 

I took a Maurten gel 15 minutes before the start. Usually I take a caffeinated one, but I had run out of them unknowingly. So no caffeine for me! That's okay, though. I think my caffeinated gel from the Tracksmith 5000m contributed to my stomach cramp so it could be for the best.

Soon it was time to line up at the start. I lined up about 6-7 rows back because the race had a large competitive field and I thought that would be the right spot for me. In hindsight, I wish I had lined up closer to the front, but more on that later.

Goals and Strategy
My goal was to beat my 20:28 from last year. The weather was very similar - 74 degrees with lowish humidity. It could have been much worse this time of year, so I was generally grateful.

On my personal weather scale, I give this a 3 out of 10. For July, its probably closer to a 9 out of 10 but my personal race weather scale considers ALL potential weather, with low 40s being ideal. That's why this sits solidly at 3 out of 10. It might be great for July, but it's not great racing weather generally speaking. 

I had my splits memorized and I knew what I needed to do each mile to beat them. I had done a lot of mental prep to ensure that I would stay strong during that final mile and really push up the long hill.

Mile 1, photo by Cheryl Young

Mile 1
The race started and I tried not to get pulled out too quickly like I did at the track 5K. But that backfired because I think I ran the first minute at a 7:30 pace. And then I had to weave around many runners to get back on pace. I was passing people left and right for the entire first mile. Clearly I should have lined up closer to the front. My goal for this mile was 6:26 but despite how hard I ran to make up for the slow start, I couldn't get my pace below 6:30. Finally my watch beeped at 6:29, but I knew I had some major work to do for the rest of the race. 

Mile 2
I wanted this mile to be around 6:20. It's mostly downhill so it's easy pick up a lot of speed. It's also where the field starts to spread out so weaving isn't as much of an issue. I saw Greg at the beginning of this mile, and that definitely pepped me up. This is where I felt like the shoes were maybe stiffer than ideal. They have a firm ride, but I think I might have appreciated more bounce on the downhill. Usually this mile is a breeze but I felt like I worked extra hard here in comparison to previous years, but my watch wasn't necessarily reflecting that. My watch beeped at 6:24 which was nice and fast, but at that point I suspected my course PR would be unlikely. 

Approaching the finish

Mile 3
I had planned out my mental strategy in advance for mile 3. It's always the hardest mile with a killer hill. I told myself that this is where it really mattered and my job was to make it hurt. My job was to push as hard as possible no matter how hard I was hurting. I didn't think about what I wanted my split to be
because I already knew a course PR was unlikely. The best thing for me to do would be to focus on my form, stay mentally strong, and not ease up on the effort. I did not look at my watch at all during this mile. I was focused and dialed in. That hill seemed to go on forever and ever. I was happy to be passing a lot of runners during this mile, and that kept me motivated. I clocked in at 6:45 and then gunned it to the finish.

The last 0.17
According to Strava, I somehow managed to run this at an average pace of 5:49. That's kind of a long time to maintain that pace uphill! (Yes, the hill kept going). I think this is what I was most proud of. And it was faster than last year!

My official time was 20:39, which won me first place in my age group out of 81 runners! What a large age group field for a local race.

After the Race
I was very happy to be done, knowing that I had given that race everything I had. I wasn't sure if I could beat my 20:28, but I was happy to be only 11 seconds shy of that. It does make me wonder. . . how did I ever run that time!?

Laura and me - 1st and 2nd Age Group

But, given that I have been running this race since 2010 and I am now 46 years old, I am very content to have run my second fastest time. Considering I ran a time of 21:04 just six weeks ago on a flatter course, I think this is a huge accomplishment. It shows what consistent 5K training can do and it positions me well to start marathon training. 

I found Greg and a bunch of my friends and we exchanged race stories. It was really fun to see everyone and that's one of the main things I love about this race. It's a big one and so many people come out for it.

I collected my age group award and then Greg and I left the race to go have breakfast at a place near our house that we still hadn't tried. Afterwards, I decided to run home because I did not do a cool down at the race. It was a new experience to run for 13 minutes shortly after eating a full meal, but I did it!

Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways
I'm very happy with my effort at this race and the fact that I stayed mentally strong. My only regret is starting too far back (my chip time was 10 seconds slower than my gun time) and then having to run extra hard to make up for a slow start. 

I have a lot to be thankful for. I am healthy, I won first place in my age group, I got to see many of my running friends, I had Greg supporting me the whole time, and I ran my second fastest ever Firecracker 5K. Strava credits me with a time of 20:13 and even though I know it's not official, it's a confidence-boosting data point for sure. Of course Strava also told me I could have run it harder. . . 

This is one of my favorite races of the year and I am happy I was able to participate!

Tracksmith Twilight 5000

Last night I ran the Tracksmith Twilight 5000 in Washington DC. Normally I run 5Ks in the morning on the road, and I refer to them as "5Ks". This was a 5000 meter race on the track at night. It bore little resemblance to the 5K I know and love, even though the distance was the same.

Why I Registered
I was a pacer for this race back in 2022 and I really enjoyed it. The idea of racing a 5K on the track at night in the summer was completely unappealing to me, but I figured it would be fun to help someone else. After pacing it, though, I got the itch to run it myself. I was even signed up to run it either last year or the year before (I don't remember) but it was cancelled due to the weather. 

Pacing the 25:00 group in 2022

I registered because I wanted to see what it would be like to run a race on the track. I thought the vibe was really cool at the 2022 event and I love challenging myself in new ways. When I registered for the race a few months ago, I entered my predicted finish time as 20:20. I had run a 20:08 5K in February so I factored in some extra time for the heat. I had totally forgotten about the time I registered with when I received an email a week before the race with my heat assignment.

This race is run in "heats" of about 20-35 runners each. This avoids there being too many people on the track at once. Each heat has a different starting time. The faster the heat, the later the start time. Runners are assigned a heat based on their self-predicted finish time. I was placed in the 19:30-20:20 group. Having just run a time of 21:04 two weeks ago, I was really nervous about this. Realistically I thought the best I could hope for would be 20:30, which meant I might be the last finisher in my heat.

I could have emailed them to switch to the next slower heat, but I decided not to. I figured if I was going to challenge myself, I might as well go for it and see what would happen. I am typically pretty conservative with my race goals, but this seemed like the perfect opportunity to be more aggressive.

Race day eating and activities
I had no idea what to do with myself all day. I didn't want to do anything too strenuous, but I also didn't want to sit around and do nothing but get nervous. I decided I would spend some time making a different kind of Instagram video, explaining my pacing strategy.

In this video, I discussed how I would be using my Garmin as a stopwatch, not a GPS device, to pace myself. I would use the lap button and lap myself every 400m. My goal would be to run around 1:35-1:36 per lap and keep up with the 20:00 pacer. I had it all planned out and I visualized myself hitting that lap button and nailing those splits, just like I did when I paced the 25:00 group back in 2022.

Eating wise, I had a normal breakfast: Nova lox, a bagel, and a banana. For lunch I had rice pilaf, almond butter pretzels, and more nova lox. For dinner I had an English muffin with almond butter and a banana. I wanted to keep it pretty light. I ate my dinner at 4:30 for a 7:40 race start. I figured that would be plenty of time to digest the food. I felt like I had kept the food really light, but consumed enough calories so I wouldn't be in an energy deficit. 

I started to feel nervous right before we left the house with that "I have to go to the bathroom" sensation that never quite materialized. For morning races, usually I can empty everything out in advance.

Other things I did yesterday to distract myself included playing the piano and unpacking my CD collection from the moving boxes and organizing them by date, but without looking at the dates. My CD collection is like the sound track to my life from ages 15-30 so I remember the order they go in. 

Before the Race
We left the house at 5:30 for a 7:40 start. Even though I live much closer to Washington DC than I used to, it still took us 45 minutes to get there because this race was on the other side of the city, closer to Maryland. 

We arrived, parked and made it to bib pickup an hour before race start. Tracksmith was promoting their new Eliot Racer shoe which meant runners had the opportunity to test them out. They encouraged me to take a lap around the track in them, and I did. WOW - did I fall in love with this shoe. So soft and bouncy, very similar to my beloved adidas Adios Pro 2 but with even more bounce. These have the potential to be my new favorite shoe.

However, I currently have the many different carbon fiber plated shoes and I cannot justify the purchase of another one: Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 PB, Adios Pro 2, NB SuperComp Pacer, ASICS Metaspeed Sky, ASICS Metaspeed Edge, Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro, Saucony Endorphin Pro 4, and Nike Alphafly.

I ran this 5000m race in my Nike Alphaflys. I had tested them out during two track workouts and they felt very fast with a lot of forward propulsion. I liked the Achilles-friendly 8mm drop and the fact that my feet weren't overwhelmed with cushion. I find the ASICS Metaspeed Sky to be too soft and the Saucony Endorphin Pro to be too firm, so the Alphafly was the perfect middle ground. I also really love the New Balance SC Pacer for short races, but I wanted to give the Alphafly a shot!

I changed back into my Nikes and ran a few more laps in the outermost lane of the track to warm up. I made multiple trips to the porta potty but not much was happening. 15 minutes before the race started I had a caffeinated Maurten gel. I debated having caffeine so late in the day and I knew it would bother my sleep, but I still did it. I figured I would be up late anyway, and lack of sleep would be worth it for the performance boost of caffeine. 

Weather
It was seasonably cool for May 31st. It was only 65 degrees, not humid (in fact, quite dry) and windy. If you were just standing around and not in a sunny spot, it felt cold. Greg wore jeans and a jacket. I warmed up in shorts and a lightweight jacket. 65 degrees is not exactly cool, but that wind was serious. On my personal weather scale I give this a 7 out of 10: somewhat favorable. With the sun having gone down below the buildings, the wind and the low humidity, the temperature was quite good. But the 16-18 mph sustained wind with heavier gusts made for a brutal 200m stretch! I am also thankful that it wasn't raining. We had quite the thunderstorm with hail earlier in the day!

The Race
Normally I break my race reports into a mile-by-mile recap, but that is not how I experienced this race. The whole thing was one big blur of "the same" and after the first mile I had no idea how many laps I had run because I wasn't even thinking about that.

I'm wearing the race briefs!

As I said in my Instagram video, the plan was to hit my lap button every 400m, but the more I thought about it, I realized I didn't need that level of granularity and I would lap every 800m, and shoot for around 3:10-3:11. 

There were about 20-25 people in my heat. There was a 19:30 pacer and a 20:00 pacer. My friend Sergio was running, and I often find myself running very close to him in races. He wanted to run 20:00 as well so I told myself I would tuck in behind him and the pacer. I didn't really think I was in 20:00 shape, but I was going to go for it anyway. Who knows, maybe being in a pack would make me faster! 

We all lined up close to the start. I started in lane 1 (innermost lane) about three rows back. I could have been closer to the front if I started in a further lane. 

Oh how easy it felt that first lap! I felt so good that I was actually vying for position and wanting to be closer to the pacer! I had all the confidence in the world after lap 1 because I believed that pace to be totally sustainable. It was hard running on the track with so many other runners close by. Everyone wanted to be in lane 1, running at the exact same pace. There was only one point where I rubbed elbows with another runner but I somehow managed to keep my own space the rest of the time. 

I knew that Greg would have 12 opportunities to cheer for me and take photos and videos. I figured he would be moving around and I didn't know where or when to expect him. 

The first four laps were a dream! Here are my official splits, which start at 200m and then go every 400m.:

200 46.63
400 1:36.78
400 1:36.55
400 1:35.24
400 1:36.13

That's 1.12 miles of perfect execution! Shortly after that, my pack started to get ahead of me. It was weird because I was maintaining my effort level, but I was trailing behind. So I upped the effort. I really didn't

want to lose the pack because I needed them to block the wind. But no matter how much I pushed, they got farther and farther ahead. 

At this point I stopped focusing on my pace and how many laps I had run and I did everything I could to keep going. I developed a tight cramp in my upper abdomen. I am not sure if this was from pushing too hard in the beginning, from eating a larger meal than I normally would have, or maybe the caffeinated gel just "sitting" there. Whatever the cause, it got pretty gnarly.

I did not feel good or strong or fast. I felt like I was slogging away at a very slow pace. Everything felt heavy, the wind felt like a massive obstacle and the stomach pain was intense. And that's really all I have to report about the second two miles! I didn't count laps, but thankfully the football stadium scoreboard showed the official race time. I figured I would stop when that big clock got to be around 21 minutes. Yes, I had the same clock on my Garmin but I couldn't even bring myself to look at that. 

It was a blur of pushing hard, looking at the big clock and feeling the pain in my upper abdomen. I was also running completely alone and I was hoping there was at least one person behind me so I wouldn't be the last finisher. 

The final 200m was a tailwind so I sprinted as hard as I could and I almost caught the guy in front of me. He beat me by 3 seconds and had previously been much farther ahead.  More splits:

1:39.44
1:43.06
1:44.87
1:44.61
1:44.57
1:46.38
1:44.48
1:43.89

I was running slower than my half marathon pace for the last mile! 

My official time was 21:02. This was surprising to me because I had expected to be closer to 22:00, but I
guess I had a fast first mile to pad the rest of the race with. I the official race result, they group by age and gender I placed 2nd in my age group out of only 5 women. I am thinking these evening track races are more for the younger crowd! The fastest woman in my age group ran 20:55 so I wasn't too far behind.

After the Race
The next heat began almost immediately after ours was finished. Greg and I hung out for a bit and chatted with Sergio and a few other runners. We all agreed that the wind made this one tough. My nose was burning and running and I was sneezing my head off. This happens when I run really hard in low humidity. My nasal passage gets dry and irritated. The cramp went away about five minutes after finishing. 

Greg and I left the meet and had dinner at a local diner. I got chicken and waffles - a great combination of protein and carbs. 

Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways
This one was really hard. Much harder than anticipated. I was happy that my time was 2 seconds faster than my 5K time from two weeks ago, but I had to expend way more effort to do it. 

I knew 20:00 was an unrealistic goal, but sometimes you have to challenge yourself and just try and see what happens. I almost never do that, so it was a great experience to do it. I am pretty sure I could have run a faster time (maybe 20:45) if I started out slower and didn't crash and burn, but I took a risk. 

This race has motivated me to get back to where I was last summer. Last summer I ran a time of 20:28 at the hilly Firecracker 5K. I was consistently running speed workouts, lifting weights, and paying attention to my nutrition. For the past two months, the move has been front and center and taking care of myself has suffered. I haven't been focused on my nutrition, taking supplements, doing strength training, getting quality sleep, etc. 

Now that we are all settled in our new time it's time to get back to my normal fitness and wellness routine. I am proud of myself for getting out there and being aggressive even though it meant a painful and sluggish second half. It was a fun event and it has lit the fire in me to get back into my training groove.

Feeling Fast For 5K

This morning I ran the "By George" 5K at Hains Point in Washington DC. I am running a marathon in two weeks and my main goal with this short cycle was to build on my endurance base from my last cycle with speed. I've been doing more workouts at 5K pace or faster, like 200m repeats, 1:00 hard/1:00 easy, and short treadmill intervals.

So instead of doing my typical long run with marathon pace miles, I opted for a 5K to see how my speed was progressing.

Nine days before my December marathon, I ran a Turkey Trot at a pace of 6:33 which was slower than I was expecting. My legs got really tired towards the end, making it apparent that my focus on tempo runs as opposed to speed intervals resulted in legs that didn't have pep at top speed. My splits were 6:34, 6:40, 6:30 and 5:50 for the final kick. 

Today's 5K would test if my renewed focus on short speed intervals made any difference. Why does this matter for a marathon? Because I also felt that during my marathon my legs were sleepy. Sure, I set a PR and I was thrilled with my time. But I knew where I needed to improve to break that 3:15 barrier. 

Before the Race
I panicked a little bit when my GPS told me it would be a 40 minute drive to the race instead of my planned 30 minutes. I would get there with only 30 minutes to get my bib, pin it on, and warm up. But thankfully the drive ended up being closer to 30 minutes because the GPS had us going to a different part of Hains point. Also - since the bathrooms were locked until 8:00, they told us the race would start at 8:10 instead. 

After pining on my bib, I warmed up with one of my running club friends for just over two miles. (I joined a running club! More on that in a future post.) She found a porta potty about half a mile from the race so we didn't have to wait for the golf club bathrooms to open at 8:00. 

It was a small but competitive field with only 25 women! The race felt larger because there was a 10k going at the same time. 

It was 34 degrees, overcast and breezy. Hains point is almost always windy even if it's not windy elsewhere. I would say the winds were about 10-12 mph sustained. Not horrible, but it made the temps feel much cooler than 34 degrees, especially with no sun. I would give this a 9 out of 10 on my personal weather scale. Ideal temps, overcast skies, no precipitation, and with wind that probably robbed me of a few seconds but not much more than that.

I opted for short sleeves, arm warmers and my favorite CW-X capri tights. (If you want to try them, code ELIZABETHCLOR saves 10%.) I also wore convertible mittens with hand warmers inside of them. I would have worn my new running club gear, but I don't have a singlet yet (just a crop top) and it was too cold for that.

I wore the New Balance SuperComp Pacer 2, which is ideal for shorter races. It has a carbon fiber plate, but with a lower stack height than most carbon fiber plated shoes. I like to be closer to the ground when I run 5Ks. They have an 8mm drop so they don't irritate my achilles tendons. These shoes are responsive, comfortable and fast. Unfortunately, I am almost done with all the pairs of adidas Adios Pro 2 that I stocked up on. Versions 3 and 4 of that shoe don't work for me, so I am on the hunt for a go-to racing shoe. This New Balance Pacer is excellent for short distances, but I might want more cushion for a marathon. 

After I finished my cool down, the man who calculates the regional runner rankings approached me and congratulated on my first place spot. The rankings just came out on Friday and for 2024, I was ranked first in the DC/MD/VA region for the 45-49 age group. I definitely had not expected to come in first! Rankings are based on all the local races you run throughout the year so my 40:31 10K and 1:29:50 half marathon were included. He said that usually as you get older the goal is to stay at the same pace because that means you are improving. He said he rarely sees people get faster as they age up. I told him I attributed it to being self-coached. Instead of following someone else's plan, I know my body best. I am a coach myself and I have been at this long enough that I know how to train for the various race distances. I started coaching myself in mid 2023 and that's really when the improvements started coming after plateauing for a few years. 

Race Goal and Plan
I thought sub 20:00 was possible, but not likely. All I wanted to do was to improve on my 6:33-paced 5K from Thanksgiving. I planned to hover right around 20:10 but potentially faster if I could really gun it at the end. 

Mile 1: 6:28
I went out very quickly but it didn't feel like it. I think I ran the first quarter mile at a pace of around 6:15.
I didn't want to hold myself back so I just went with it. But then the reality of the headwind set in and I slowed down. Because I knew I would have a tailwind during the last mile, I gave myself permission to run exactly at goal pace and not try to outdo myself. And my stellar pacing skills landed me exactly where I wanted - 6:28. As I said earlier, this was a competitive field so I had plenty of other runners around me, both male and female.

Mile 2: 6:35
I really wish I had pushed harder here. This mile features a curve and also the hairpin turnaround. Those two things steal momentum and I also found the wind to be bad here. It was a headwind during the first mile but it was a side wind here and I think mentally I got too annoyed by it. Plus, I kept promising myself that I would run a really fast last mile so I once again gave myself permission to not push myself but rather to "hang in there". 

Mile 3: 6:20
It was go time and I was closing in on a woman ahead of me. At this point I knew it was going to hurt and I challenged myself to really lean into the pain and push as hard as possible. I was thinking I could possible squeak under 20 minutes if I really gave it my all. I did close the gap between myself and the woman ahead of me, but she still finished 9 seconds ahead of me. I am pretty sure I ran this mile as 6:30 for the first half and 6:10 for the second half. Strava data supports this! As soon as I knew I only had half a mile left I really turned on the gas.

Final 0.13: 5:48 pace
I watched the clock tick just over 20 but I wanted to be as close as possible to it. I ran HARD and I felt really strong. My legs had much more power than they did at the Turkey Trot. I was the 5th female finisher out of 25. A small field but competitive!

My official time was 20:08. I was very happy with this! Of course I immediately started questioning if I could have gone under 20 minutes with more effort during that second mile, but really it's just an arbitrary milestone and I met the goal I set out for myself which was a sub 6:30 pace. I wanted to be around 20:10 and that's what I did. Maybe I should have set a more aggressive goal and I would have done it! I'll try to find another 5K before it gets too warm.

After the Race
I cooled down with my teammate, who was the third female finisher. We ran about two miles and shared our race experiences. Then we met back up with Greg who informed me that I had won a cherry pie. I just realized I haven't mentioned Greg in this post yet, but he was there supporting me and taking photos. This race meant that he couldn't sleep in so I really appreciated him being there. 

On our way back home we drove by our soon-to-be home. We aren't permitted to go inside but we like to drive by it to see how the exterior is coming along. We don't have a closing date but we anticipate a move in April, right before the Boston Marathon. 

Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways
This was my third fastest 5K ever and I have run over 150 of them! According to "official" results,  it's my 4th fastest, but my 3rd fastest course measured shorter than this one by 0.05 miles. My average pace today was faster (6:26) than my average pace of that other one (6:28) so I am claiming this as my third fastest 5K ever. 

Finish Line

20:08 is so close to 19:xx and I am excited about the possibility of breaking 20 again. Once again, it is an arbitrary mile stone and Strava tells me I ran a time of 20:01 today. But it's just cooler when your finish time starts with 19. 

Compared to the Turkey Trot mile by mile: 6:34 to 6:28, 6:40 to 6:35, 6:30 to 6:20. Excellent progress! The Turkey Trot is hillier but it's a fast hilly and I have run a 19:58 on it in the past.

Not to get too hung up on time, but that's what today was about for me. I've gotten to a place mentally where racing isn't always about time, but today I wanted to test where my speed interval training had landed me.

I won my age group, but I was the only person in my age group! So I was first place and last place. 

If I had it to do over again I would have pushed harder during that second mile and not tried to save it all for the final mile. I think I could have saved about 5 seconds there. If it hadn't been windy I think I could have saved another 5 seconds too. 

Perhaps my goal was too soft and I am not challenging myself enough with my goals. I am excellent at setting out to do exactly what I tell myself I will do. A 5K is the perfect venue for risk taking so there is no reason I shouldn't have set my sights on sub 20 from the outset.

The New Balance SC Pacer 2 shoes were perfect. I accidentally got a wide width pair without realizing it, so the fit was a little sloppy, but next time I will buy a regular width and I think I will feel more locked in.

As for my marathon in two weeks, I feel ready! This race was just the confidence booster I need to feel sharp and dialed in. 

Frosty 5K Race Recap

I ran the Frosty 5K shortly before Christmas and the New Year's Day 10K on January 1. I am late in blogging about both of them. Neither of them were stellar performances, goal races, or particularly interesting, so the urge to blog wasn't as strong as it typically is. But there is always something to reflect on post-race, so I will start with Frosty. 

This race takes place on a course that our local running store, =PR=, uses multiple times throughout the year. I had run the course about five times previously, but never the Frosty version of it. (For reference, the other races are Run Your Heart Out, Birthday Bash, and Labor Day - which is now Donut Dash). It's a hilly course that always measures long on my Garmin, but it's fun to do the =PR= races because they are well organized and I know many of the other runners. In 2024 I bought a "race pass" which you buy at the beginning of the year and it covers four races of your choosing. I had one race left, so I used it on this one.

Two weeks post marathon I wasn't sure if my legs were recovered enough to tackle a hilly 5K. I knew from my Turkey Trot that I was not in great 5K shape so both of these factors combined made for a less than ideal race setup. 

Before the Race
On race morning, I recorded an Instagram video in which I said my goal pace would be 6:40. I had no idea what kind of time that would translate to with the distance being slightly off, but if my Garmin pace averaged 6:40, I thought that would be a solid effort. 

I arrived at the race and picked up my bib. I got there super early now that I have PTSD from missing a race start! I was trying to be in two places at once because my friend Caroline was in town from Florida running the race and I also wanted to warm up with Lighthorse Track Club, which I was considering joining. I somehow managed to start the warm up with Lighthorse and also find Caroline so that was a win. 

Lighthorse had a huge showing of runners. They choose two races a year where most of the team comes out and this was one of them. Dustin, the leader, organized pace groups based on what people would be running. I joined up with two people going out at a 6:30 pace. I knew I wouldn't be maintaining that pace, but the first mile is downhill, so that was my target for mile 1.

It was 25 degrees with winds at around 8 mph and partly cloudy. I give this an 8 out of 10 on my personal weather scale. I could have done without the wind and added about 5 degrees onto the temp. Otherwise it was perfect. 

I wore my favorite CW-X stability capri tights, which feel so fast for racing! I paired it with a Tracksmith Brighton Base Layer and Zensah socks, plus my trusty adidas Adios Pro 2 shoes. 

Bib number 1225 - Christmas!

Mile 1
I lined up with the two runners who said they were going out at a 6:30 pace but promptly lost them shortly after we started. Lighthorse is a fast group which meant there were a lot of fast runners right up front. It was a bit of a chaotic start, but I was able to settle in after we made our first two turns. It wasn't long before I found myself with my friend Michelle. We worked together for a little bit, weaving around people. I wanted to take full advantage of the downhill so that meant weaving. I clocked in at 6:33 for the first mile.

Mile 2
Now that the downhill was over it was time to work. Mentally I was very strong in this race. I think it was the fact that there were so many other fast women. Instead of trying to run a personal best I focused on the competitive aspect and that really motivated me. I used one of my favorite 5K mantras which is "make it hurt". That's my job in a 5K to make it hurt. This mindset allowed me to pass multiple runners during the second mile and that felt great. I don't recall anyone passing me - but it's been over three weeks now so maybe they did! My time for this mile was 6:39.

Mile 3
I knew I had a lot of cushion to make my 6:40 average pace goal. Mile 3 would definitely be the slowest (it always is due to the hills) but I didn't want to back off the effort. I was pleasantly surprised by how strong I felt on the hills. I had much more energy and pep than I did at the Turkey Trot, when I felt flat. I kept repeating my mantra of making it hurt and I powered up that hill! I did not want anyone coming from behind and passing me at the end, and they didn't! My time was 6:53, which is impressive given the hill profile.

Heading towards the finish line

The finish and beyond
I gunned the final 0.16 at an average pace of 5:57 according to my Garmin. I felt really strong. 

My official time was 21:01 which is a course PR by 8 seconds! I was thrilled. And my Garmin pace ended up being exactly 6:40, so my powers of prediction were on point. 

After the race I cooled down for 1 mile with Caroline and then I got my award. I won second place in my age group and was curious about another 45-49 year-old woman running faster than me. But then the reality hit me that I am no longer the youngest in this age group, having recently turned 46. A 45-year-old woman ran faster than me! More power to her - it was a super competitive race. 

It was really, really cold so I was happy not to linger for too long. Greg and I met up with Caroline and her husband at a nearby restaurant and had breakfast. I was chilled to the core and kept downing my decaf coffee!

Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways
I was pleasantly surprised with how strong I felt. Even though I predicted my exact pace, I didn't imagine that my legs would feel as recovered as they did. 

• It was a competitive field with all the Lighthorse ladies showing up. I was the 11th female finisher.
• This was a course PR by 8 seconds, making it my second 5K course PR of the year on an often-run course!
• In 2024, I set distance PRs in the marathon, half marathon, 10K, and 1-mile. I did not set a distance PR in the 5K but my two course PRs show major progress. 
• I ran a slower time than my recent Turkey Trot, but the Turkey Trot is less hilly and measures closer to 3.1 miles. 
• I also felt much stronger and more energized than I did at the Turkey Trot.
• My "make it hurt" mantra really helped me.
• I enjoyed feeling like I was competing and it was nice having other runners around. 
• It was fun to see so many of my friends, particularly Caroline from out of town.
• I didn't realize I had bib 1225 (12/25 for Christmas) until an Instagram commenter remarked on it.
• This was a great "workout" to start my winter of speed. I want to focus more on speed over the next two months because my previous training cycle was lacking in that aspect.

I was really happy I got out and ran this race. What a great way to finish out my strongest ever year of running!

That Turkey Trot Though!

I am running out of creative titles for Turkey Trot race recaps. (I am waiting for a warm year so I can use "Too Hot To Trot" - which would be a decent consolation prize for unfavorable weather.) Onto the race report.

This was my 15th Virginia Run Turkey Trot! I started running this course back in 2006, and have run it every year since except for 2019-2022 when they stopped holding the race due to lack of volunteers. My backup race, Ashburn Farm, is actually a faster course and holds my 5K PR of 19:41. But I'm more interested in tradition than PRs (shocking, I know) so I still opt for Virginia Run now that it's back in business!

As I just posted a few days ago, I have been training for a marathon and my build has been quite intense. Because I had to fit a lot of work into just seven weeks, I sacrificed VO2 max work in exchange for lactate threshold work and long runs. I figured I could probably run around 20:00-20:10. 

Before the Race
The forecast called for steady rain so I planned my outfit accordingly the night before: short sleeves, long fitted shorts, arm warmers and a hat. But when I woke up, the rain seemed to have stopped and the hourly forecast was showing light rain. My outfit was already laid out, but I decided to abandon it in favor of short shorts, a fitted crop top and no arm sleeves. 

I got dressed and we left the house at 7:05, arriving ten minutes later. I love how close this race is to my house! Greg is unfortunately still dealing with the injury he's had for over two years, so he did not race. Instead, he played the role of Instagram videographer, cheerleader, and gear holder. 

The rain had picked up on our drive so we sat in the car until it was time to warm up. I had picked up my bib the day before so I didn't have to worry about waiting in line in the cold rain. We got out of the car and I immediately started running. I had a light rain jacket over my outfit and was very thankful for that! I warmed up two miles during which I took a Maurten caffeinated gel. My energy was high and I felt mentally ready to put out a hard effort. 

About 5 minutes before the race started I handed my jacket to Greg along with my hat. The rain had mostly subsided and was now light enough for me to be hatless. It was 46 degrees, no wind and fully overcast. I give this a 9 out of 10 on my weather scale. Very favorable racing conditions with the rain being very light. The only downside was wet pavement which meant I needed to be more cautious with my footing. 

Mile 1: 6:34
The race started and I went out confidently. I was hoping to run around 6:30 for the first mile and then have miles 2 and 3 be faster based on the elevation profile. Two women bolted out ahead of me so I was in third place. I stayed relaxed, didn't look at my Garmin and told myself to run really hard. About halfway through the first mile I was able to pass one of the women who was ahead of me. I was now in second place. 

Mile 2: 6:40
During the first mile I thought it might be possible to catch the first woman, but she solidified a strong lead during the second mile. Even though mile 2 has a significant hill, it has less of a net gain overall so it's objectively faster than mile 1. I typically run this mile faster or at the same pace as the first mile. When I looked down and saw that I had run 6:40, I was discouraged, but vowed to keep the effort hard.

Mile 3: 6:30
This is the fastest mile of the race and I usually crush this mile! Knowing that it was a fast mile perked me up and gave me the energy to really fight for it. But now my legs were not cooperating. Even though I felt like I had more energy and my lungs could do more for me, my legs were heavy and I couldn't get them going as fast as I wanted to. I was still in second place, and I didn't want anyone passing me during this fast mile. 

My final 0.14 miles was a pace of 5:50 according to my Garmin, so I had a little something left in my legs, but it felt like I didn't have the power that I normally have. 

After the Race
My Garmin clocked me in at 20:32, which was a far cry from the 20:00-20:10 I was hoping for. And shortly after I crossed, another woman crossed! She told me she had been trying to catch me so I am glad I didn't ease up during that last mile.

I heard the announcer say something about me running a time of 19:51, and I knew that was wrong. They did not have a finish line clock, which I assume was because it was raining. Even still, I knew my time was not 19:51.

The rain was starting to pick up again, so I decided I would run my cool down to the car and leave. Normally I like to linger post race and talk to other runners, but I wanted to get out of that rain as soon as possible.

Results issues
When I checked the results online, my time was 19:51. So I waited until later in the day, figuring they would be corrected. I was also listed in the results as the 3rd place female, with the woman who crossed after me coming in second. While she may have had a faster chip time (unknown due to result inaccuracies) the top three finishers are determined by gun time according to USATF standards. This rule is in place because runners should be able to see who they are racing against. If someone starts a minute behind you and you don't know they are there, you can't possibly "race" against that person. Age group awards, on the other hand, are often done by chip time. 

The race results list gun time and chip time - but both of these are the exact same for all runners. So it looks like true gun time was not listed for anyone, just chip, in which case they should remove "gun time" because it's not gun time. What baffles me is that they clearly they recorded gun time-- so why not publish it? 

Ultimately, my time was corrected to 20:25 which still feels too fast compared to my Garmin, but that's the official result.

Having a clock at the finish line and using gun time for the top overall three finishers is the best practice and eliminates this kind of confusion.

Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways
I have to admit I was a little disappointed in my time. I do think I ran the fastest race I had in me, but I thought 20:00 was totally realistic for me going into the race. The more I think about it, I guess it makes sense. 

My natural strength is endurance, not speed, and if I don't train that system regularly, I struggle at anything faster than 10K effort. Over the summer, I trained specifically for the Firecracker 5K and ran a time of 20:28 on a hilly course on a hot day. I was doing 400m intervals regularly as well as 1:00 Fartleks. That type of training has been mostly absent during the past seven weeks. 

Further, my legs have been feeling flat/stale for the past few weeks due to the high mileage. I packed a ton of mileage into a short timeframe and I realize this is not the ideal setup for a 5K. I suspect if I had a few more days of rest and easy running leading up to the Turkey Trot my legs would have had more power. 

I ran a time of 19:58 on this course 9 days before running a 3:15 marathon back in 2018. And now I am hoping to run a 3:12 marathon! But this is not apples to apples because that previous training cycle included more VO2 max work. My marathon pace runs back then were not nearly as fast as they are now. 

Overall it was a fun race and good mental toughness practice. The results are wonky, but mine are correct because I did finish 2nd and my time was 20:30. 

This was my third fastest time on this course out of 15 so I can't really complain at the age of 46!

Now it's time to seriously taper (rest day today) so my legs bounce back for December 7.

Update at 3:30 on Friday:
The results have been updated and now include both gun and chip time. The overall three women are ranked in order of gun time. However, I am credited with a chip time of 20:25, which seems too fast given my Garmin time of 20:32 and starting at the front.