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So March was a monster mileage month for me (210 miles) and April was a huge racing month for me (okay, technically the ES20 was at the end of March and Providence was the beginning of May, but over the course of about 5 week I raced 2 marathons and a 20-miler). My legs are feeling it.
I’m a little tired.
It’s time to downsize. I have a half-marathon scheduled at the end of the month, and then nothing on the calender until October, when I plan to make another run at qualifying for Boston.
That said, I am hooked on this racing thing.
Love it.
Love!
It!
But I can’t keep doing half’s and full’s every month – my legs at some point will protest or simply fall off.
So I’m thinking that along with training toward an October marathon, this is going to be the summer of the 5K. I haven’t run a 5K race yet. Ever. I have no idea what to expect from them, but I do know that they are the most commonly run road race out there. That being the case, you may see a, um, ahem, run of 5K race reports over the summer.
The 5K though is a little scary to me.
Scary?
Well, yeah.
My biggest fear of the 5K is the distance.
The Distance?
Yup, the distance. I am a relatively slow starter. Whether it’s age or simply just how I’m built, in the races I have run, it usually takes me a two or three miles to get into a groove. The problem with that, of course, is if it takes me 3 miles to get in a groove in a 5K, I’ll only have 0.1 miles left in the race.
I know I can cover the distance. After running several marathons and half’s, the race may be over before it even feels like it’s started. The question is can I kick it into 5th gear from the very start?
Part of the reason I’m trying my hand at 5K’s this summer is the same reason why, in the end, I did 2 marathons in 2 weeks – to see if I can do it.
Very often, that’s what these races, whether they be 5K’s or marathons, are all about. Very few of us have any hopes of winning a race outright. But that is not why we run. We are not running against our competitors. No, we are running against ourselves – to see what we are indeed capable of.
I’m looking forward to finding out.
***In the meantime, if any of you have suggestions for 5K’s that you really enjoyed in the Boston or New York City areas, please let me know.
Run Luau Run 