Tomorrow evening I’m running in the Chicago Volunteer Legal Services’ Race Judicata 5K! I’m running with my colleagues from the office.
The response from the office has been very good. There are ten of us participating in the the run/walk event. Six of us are running and 4 of us are walking. I’m not really nervous but I do have some butterflies in my stomach because of the six who are running, one is an experienced marathoner, another a half-marathoner and one is a triathlete. Between the remaining three I am the slowest!
I’ve got the butterflies because I feel a need to perform well. I’m the “captain” of my team since I organized this outing. I’ve been talking about the run with the office to promote it and in the process I’ve talked about my own running endeavors (humble as they are). The reality is that no one will care how I do, but my ego is convinced that everyone will be watching to see my final race time!
It’s been a while since my last race. In fact, I think my last race was the 10K I did with a colleague in Evanston, IL. I’ve been working out (strength training and running) a lot since my last organized race but I can’t tell if I’ve really been pushing myself or not. For me at least, competition is the best way for me to push myself. Tomorrow will be a good opportunity for me to assess my progress.
I’m trying to workout smart so that I’m not too tired tomorrow. However, I also need to keep things in perspective - this is a 5K and not a marathon - and not overdo the “resting the legs”. Today I went to the gym and did strength training for my chest, shoulders and triceps.
My bench press is definitely improving. Today I did 215 pounds for 7 reps. When I can do 225 pounds for 15 to 20 reps then I’ll know that I’m getting closer to where I need to be. The bench press is not the only (or even the best) measure of one’s strength training progress. It’s a psychological thing from my youth (remember the question everyone asks at the gym in high school - “how much can you bench?”). My leg strength, shoulder strength and back strength are all improving too.
It was good workout, and when I came home I followed it up with a meal of quinoa, spinach and beef. For dessert I had Kashi “Go Lean Crunch” with skim milk and a medjool date. Now if I can get to bed early and get a good night’s rest then I should be in good shape for tomorrow’s 5K!
Showing posts with label 5K. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 5K. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Saturday, May 15, 2010
My first 5K since 2005 is now in the record books!
I completed my first 5K in 5 years this morning! Yah! Woo Hoo! I finished in 31 minutes and 59 seconds. That is 2 minutes and 1 second faster than I was hoping for. The energy of the run (the race environment generally) made the difference and helped me achieve the better time.
Last night was rough. We were at an anniversary party for one of my wife's cousins and not only did dinner not get served until around 9:45pm (it was a work night for goodness sake!), but the food was all very spicy, greasy and starchy. I made it out of the party without partaking of the greasy offerings (I ate a bunch of salad with some grilled chicken - which was very spicy) but I didn't get to sleep until about 12:45am.
The race start time was 8am (note to self - pick up the race materials before the morning of the race from now on) and I woke up at 6am. I drank a cup of black coffee and ate a banana. I took a hot shower and got dressed. Next, I gathered up my iPod, wallet, watch and hat and headed out.
My plan was to run my own race and not get sucked into the pace of others. As the race began though that is the first thing I struggled with. It seemed like everyone was moving head of me right away. I had to focus hard on my pace and continually reminded myself to concentrate on my own form.
I hit the 1 mile mark and started to feel better about the run. Up until then I was very nervous about how my legs and lungs were going to hold up. I finished the first mile in 10 minutes and 29 seconds. That's about as fast as I've run as of late. Just about then we hit our first hill and I reminded myself to shorten my strides while increasing the frequency. That really helped me get up the hill.
By the turn around point I was still feeling good. My feet and legs were feeling good and my breathing was steady. As much as I didn't want to compare myself with other runs, I began noticing that people had slowed down. Some were walking. I kept running. I started to pass a few people.
We came up to another hill and I again shortened my stride while increasing its frequency and this time I started passing more people. At the next turn we crossed the 2 mile marker - 1.1 miles to go. At this juncture my legs felt good - no aches, pains, strains. One foot in front of the other I kept telling myself.
As we made the final turn there was a sign written in chalk on the road "Home Stretch". That was great. As simple as it was, it gave me a little added energy. I picked up the pace. I passed up a big guy wearing a Chicago Fire Department t-shirt. Then he passed me and despite my plan to stay focused, I began racing with him.
I evened up to him and we were run stride for stride. He was about my size. In my own mind I know I looked like a gazelle in the plains. I also know that those watching saw reality - two lumbering Clydesdales pounding the pavement!
About 150 yards away a run who had finished ran back and cheered us on. You're almost there she cheered. That was the boost I needed and I lengthened my stride and started running harder. It was not a sprint by even my own standards. It was a strong, fast pace that I couldn't have (yet) sustained for much longer than the needed 150 yards.
I crossed the finish line and the first thing I thought of was the Y Me Race for the Cure in October 2005. That race was run in downtown Chicago and it was the last 5K I had run before today. I turned in 31 minute time for that run but I know I was hurting a lot more then than I was today.
As winded as I was as I crossed the finish line, I was back to a normal breathing pattern just a few minutes later. My legs felt great too. Thank you God!
I felt awesome at that point. I finished, I didn't hurt myself and I know I have the legs to do it again in a few weeks! But then the icing on the cake was when I learned my time - 31:59! Yes!
I walked around for a few minutes, soaked up the atmosphere and then headed to my car. I felt good, it was only 8:50am and I needed to capitalize on my adrenaline, so I headed to the gym for a 1 hour weight lifting session!
I'm at about 219 lbs today. When I started this blog in the beginning of February (which is when I started working out and eating better too) I weighed 245 to 250 lbs! I've lost about 25 lbs in 14 weeks. That's well within the safe weight loss range and I know its healthy because I don't count my calories, just the quality, quantity and timing of my meals.
Last night was rough. We were at an anniversary party for one of my wife's cousins and not only did dinner not get served until around 9:45pm (it was a work night for goodness sake!), but the food was all very spicy, greasy and starchy. I made it out of the party without partaking of the greasy offerings (I ate a bunch of salad with some grilled chicken - which was very spicy) but I didn't get to sleep until about 12:45am.
The race start time was 8am (note to self - pick up the race materials before the morning of the race from now on) and I woke up at 6am. I drank a cup of black coffee and ate a banana. I took a hot shower and got dressed. Next, I gathered up my iPod, wallet, watch and hat and headed out.
My plan was to run my own race and not get sucked into the pace of others. As the race began though that is the first thing I struggled with. It seemed like everyone was moving head of me right away. I had to focus hard on my pace and continually reminded myself to concentrate on my own form.
I hit the 1 mile mark and started to feel better about the run. Up until then I was very nervous about how my legs and lungs were going to hold up. I finished the first mile in 10 minutes and 29 seconds. That's about as fast as I've run as of late. Just about then we hit our first hill and I reminded myself to shorten my strides while increasing the frequency. That really helped me get up the hill.
By the turn around point I was still feeling good. My feet and legs were feeling good and my breathing was steady. As much as I didn't want to compare myself with other runs, I began noticing that people had slowed down. Some were walking. I kept running. I started to pass a few people.
We came up to another hill and I again shortened my stride while increasing its frequency and this time I started passing more people. At the next turn we crossed the 2 mile marker - 1.1 miles to go. At this juncture my legs felt good - no aches, pains, strains. One foot in front of the other I kept telling myself.
As we made the final turn there was a sign written in chalk on the road "Home Stretch". That was great. As simple as it was, it gave me a little added energy. I picked up the pace. I passed up a big guy wearing a Chicago Fire Department t-shirt. Then he passed me and despite my plan to stay focused, I began racing with him.
I evened up to him and we were run stride for stride. He was about my size. In my own mind I know I looked like a gazelle in the plains. I also know that those watching saw reality - two lumbering Clydesdales pounding the pavement!
About 150 yards away a run who had finished ran back and cheered us on. You're almost there she cheered. That was the boost I needed and I lengthened my stride and started running harder. It was not a sprint by even my own standards. It was a strong, fast pace that I couldn't have (yet) sustained for much longer than the needed 150 yards.
I crossed the finish line and the first thing I thought of was the Y Me Race for the Cure in October 2005. That race was run in downtown Chicago and it was the last 5K I had run before today. I turned in 31 minute time for that run but I know I was hurting a lot more then than I was today.
As winded as I was as I crossed the finish line, I was back to a normal breathing pattern just a few minutes later. My legs felt great too. Thank you God!
I felt awesome at that point. I finished, I didn't hurt myself and I know I have the legs to do it again in a few weeks! But then the icing on the cake was when I learned my time - 31:59! Yes!
I walked around for a few minutes, soaked up the atmosphere and then headed to my car. I felt good, it was only 8:50am and I needed to capitalize on my adrenaline, so I headed to the gym for a 1 hour weight lifting session!
I'm at about 219 lbs today. When I started this blog in the beginning of February (which is when I started working out and eating better too) I weighed 245 to 250 lbs! I've lost about 25 lbs in 14 weeks. That's well within the safe weight loss range and I know its healthy because I don't count my calories, just the quality, quantity and timing of my meals.
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