This weekend, I'm racing. Two races. On Sunday at 8am, I'm running a 5k. At 9:15am, I'm running a 5 miler.
This race has alot of meaning to me.
It's the first race I ever ran. It's in Denver. Everytime I pull up, it brings back such wonderful memories of each year I've run the race; working and playing in Denver when I was younger and singler. I've made friends there and met others---who I didn't even know were runners. The after race party is a blast.
Did I mention the 5 mile race is the largest in the nation? The race is so big that any time I go out shopping, I'm sure to see someone in previous years' race shirts.
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For me, the 5k is a different animal altogether.
I'm not bashful about admitting that the 5k is not my best race. In fact, let's just say that it's not even in my top 10.
Run hard and maintain
I have struggled with going all out. I guess I was afraid of the pain. The burning legs, the heart pounding, the hard breathing....I have never gone all out at a 5k.
This year, I am. I came up with my mantra while I was doing speedwork.
Run hard and maintain
I have not trained to run a 5k. I am training for a half marathon. But I figured that my speedwork and tempo runs will help me post a good time. Plus, I've been really pushing myself in the speedwork to stay focused. As we all know, short distances require alot of intense focus.
Speaking of time, I don't have a time goal for this race. My goal is that, when I cross the finish line, I want to feel as though I could not have held that pace for another minute. I want to feel like I gave everything I had. Hopefully, that will also show up in the form of a PR, but it's not a big deal if it doesn't. It just means that I have more work to do in the 5k.
After crossing the finish line, I'll get ready for my 5 mile cooldown. Keep your fingers crossed, the weather is looking questionable for Sunday. But, I'm going all out no matter what.
Run hard and maintain
