Lake Como 5k on April 25, 2009

Hey everyone. On an unseasonably hot day, I found myself starting my running season at the Jersey Shore in Belmar (or Lake Como, depending on how you see it). While I don't think I would have tried this run on my own, it was easier knowing there were five others in the race that would be joining (and supporting) me from work or other races.

On an unrelated note, I had been preparing quite deliberately in the off-season in hopes of achieving the sub-30 minute 5k, as I had the breakthrough kind of year in 2008 where 33-34 minute runs became 30-31 minute efforts. I did manage a number of times of breaking that 30 minute barrier on the treadmill at the gym; however, I needed that validation on a live course. Since I know I'm not as effective in hotter weather, you can expect that seeing the high for the day would be approaching 90 degrees, the cards would be stacked against me.

I did my warm-ups and was surprised that in the morning about 90 minutes before the start of the race it was quite comfortable. That said, I had a boost of morale. This waned a bit as about 30 minutes before the start of the race the warmer temperatures kicked in. By the start of the race, it was beating down on the race participants. Fortunately, there was no humidity. Anyway, once the race began and the crowd started to stretch out over the first mile of the course, I was quite comfortable in my pace. The route snaked through neighborhoods, and was incredibly flat, giving me an excellent opportunity to experiment with optimal speeds. As the race wore on, I did begin to feel signs of fatigue as the sun kicked into overdrive, but knew that I was on a pace that, if I could hang on, could be enough to surpass my personal best of 30:29, possibly even close to 30 minutes flat. In the final stretch of the run and final corner, I was shocked to see the finish line in the distance and that the clock just passed 29 minutes. I got a kick and passed a runner, crossing the finish at 29:30, exceeding my expectations! To relish in the accomplishment, I stayed in town for a while for lunch and a few drinks, and while I was exhausted when I finally drove home, I was very happy with the effort, and have set the tone for what I hope promises to be an even stronger running season for 2009!