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2012 4 Races for 4 PBs
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Raheny 5 Mile 2019
Old PB 30:26 Raheny 2017
New PB 29:56 Raheny 2019
Started race day with a bowl of porridge cooked in oat-milk with honey and sliced banana. Drink several glasses of water during the morning and have one more banana. I leave the house over two hours ahead of the race start. Walk to Abbey Street and hop on a 32 to Raheny.
My expectations? I reckon I have a really good chance of claiming a PB, that is really my first goal. If I don't come home with a PB I will be very disappointed. To ensure I record a PB I'm going to have a cautious shot at going sub 30. I plan on holding 3:45 pace for the first 5K (18:45) and then for the remaining 3.047K I will push and try to complete them at around 3:41 pace (11:13). That would total 29:58, a good racing line and a sprint finish and I could be thereabouts over the final 400ms.
I get changed and put on the gloves which I'm glad I decided to pack. The sun has retreated and it's become chilly in the last 30 minutes. I run close on 2 miles of warm-up trying to get mentally braced and ready for the task ahead. Tell myself to try enjoy it whatever happens, try not to put myself under too much pressure but still run with the commitment required to ensure an honest shot at carrying out my race plan.
I get back to the starting straight with 15 minutes to spare. I know from previous years how congested it gets at the start here. I work my way up through the gathered runners until I realise I'm only around 8 rows back from the front. That's probably too close to the front. I stay put. Anxious to get going. The chill is kept away by the warmth of surrounding bodies. By the time we move forward in anticipation of the gun somehow the number of people ahead of me has more than doubled.
A few moments later we're off.
K1 in 3:42.33 predicted finish time 29:49
Dodge left, dodge right, slow down, speed up, watch the heels ahead of me, avoid the car driving into the race field! Look for open spaces. Brush elbows as I squeeze between runners. I stick to the road and refuse to hop on the pavement at the bends. And then, much sooner than previous years the worse of the congestion is over and I can settle into a steady pace. The first split shows as a 3:42. Pleased with this and surprised. My fear ahead of the race was that I would be forced to run a really slow opening kilometer and would then have to push too soon. I'm 3 seconds ahead of target already so I just need to hold steady and be careful, remember the negative split plan.
K2 in 3:42.89 predicted finish time 29:51
After K1 I'm only allowing myself check the Garmin at each split. I try to find runners to pace myself off but mostly I'm overtaking. Some people are breathing hard already. My stride feels good and the Asterias, despite close on 700 miles completed, feel light and and are producing a neat footfall. We double round back near the starting area before heading out along All Saints' Road retracing some of the route I ran on my warm-up. I'm still overtaking and I don't remember anyone overtake me. The Garmin buzzes, I check and see another 3:42. Too fast slow down.
K3 in 3:48.96 predicted finish time 30:08
So I've 6 seconds in the bank. I'm feeling good. Breathing is good, legs are good. A little bit of traffic again as we run inside the cones along the roadside, but this time it's welcome, it should help me keep my pace in check. Bit of an uphill drag along here. Stewards ensure we take the pavement when turning onto Sybil Hill. Near the start of this descent the Garmin buzzes and shows a 3:48. Ok that's what I wanted, 3K in and 3 seconds up on my 3:45 target for the first 5K.
K4 in 3:32.76 predicted finish time 29:44
I'd forgotten how fast this section is. A steady descent for the next kilometre with just one 90 degree left turn to take. Lots of open space now. I keep effort levels at what I think is around 3:45 pace. I continue to move past runners. The Garmin sounds again and I'm really surprised to see a 3:32 split! This was the easiest kilometre so far and by far the fastest. Suddenly I am 18 seconds ahead of target time for 5K.
K5 in 3:39.95 predicted finish time 29:41
I'm buoyed by the fact that I have passed half-way and feel largely ok. The road profile continues to be favourable along Mount Prospect Avenue. I feel I'm travelling at the same effort level. Legs are starting to feel the pinch, lungs are good. Mental boost when I see 3:39 flash on the Garmin. 24 seconds ahead of schedule at the 5K mark. I can afford a slow kilometre, but that's something I hope not to have to avail of.
K6 in 3:37.15 predicted finish time 29:36
Starting to feel like I'm in a race now. Legs are tiring but stride is still good and I don't think I'm slowing. We enter St.Anne's park. Good support in here, good support everywhere. I'm conscious that the wind has not been a factor so far, least not a negative factor. I know we'll shortly be turning onto the central avenue and I fear the wind will start to work against us. We make this turn and yes there is a breeze to tackle, but nothing very significant. The incline is immediately noticeable instead. I take encouragement from the fact that I am still overtaking and that others seem to be in more difficulty than I am. Another boost when I see a 3:37 split. Target split is around 3:41 now so I'm up on this, 28 seconds ahead of schedule overall.
K7 in 3:45.54 predicted finish time 29:41
Starting to become tricky now. I remind myself to keep my resolve strong. The climb is sapping energy from the legs. I'm looking ahead to see how much further to go to the hairpin. Stay strong. Part of me is settling for a PB, another part of me tells myself I'm in a great position to go sub 30. Just stay honest. I take the hairpin wide. The temptation is to take a break now as we descend again, I force myself not to ease off. Tell myself there's not too far left. I'm conscious that my negative split plan has been turned on its head so I know that I could still be on for sub 30 even if I log some 3:45s. Over the bridge the Garmin shows a 3:45. I knew I was slowing and this confirms it. Just a kilometre and a sprint to go.
K8 in 3:51.51 predicted finish time 29:51
I'm still slowing. The legs don't have too much left. I try to keep the pace steady but I can feel my form worsening and I'm concerned. I surely have a PB, don't I? But I'm losing hope of the sub 30. I want this to be over now. I try find runners to pace off, I overtake some and this helps. I'm struggling though. We're back near the starting area. Two more turns. At last up in front I can see the finishing gantry. Garmin buzzes but I don't look at the split. With less than 100m to go I can see 30:1X showing on the clock, I know the PB is save and I up the pace, there's still a chance of the bigger prize. Over the line.
I check the Garmin and see 2X:XX. The first digit is the only one I notice. I check again and see 29:51. Controlled elation. Surely that's enough buffer. I don't want to celebrate yet but surely I've done it. I'm happily anticipating a lot of satisfied reflection on this performance. I meet overpronator and amk, exchange our immediate race impressions, everyone is happy.
Later in the afternoon, showered and on a goodie bag sugar buzz, the results are in. 29:56:):)
Thrilled. This feels like a proper milestone I've passed. A great way to start the year. Really pleased with my run. The fact that my last kilometre was my slowest of the day tells me I didn't leave a lot out there.
I definitely have a 37:XX 10K in me, and that is the focus now. I hope to run the K-Club 10K in March. I don't think I'll change too much training-wise ahead of this, probably add a few 1K intervals and maybe some mile intervals. But I'll keep the 10x400s and I'll keep the tempos, probably shifting them up to 11K or to 45mins. If I can stay consistent then I will be very confident of picking up a 37:XX.- Chip Time 29:56
- P228 of 3889 finishers or 6th in a race of 100.
- Went through 5K in 18:26, that would have been a 5K PB less than two months ago.
- Mile splits: 5:59, 6:01, 5:49, 5:55, 6:05
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