Day 3,093: Braves Country 5K

Although I'd run in two previous Braves Country races under the 4-mile format, this was the first time I was running in it as a 5K race.

Not surprisingly, it was a hot morning at 78 degrees and I told myself that I would need to take it easy this time around. The person running the loudspeaker constantly told us to also mind the weather.

So when the race started, I took a comfortable pace. When I looked down early on, it said 7:20/mile. I was a little surprised since I'd gone a whole week in which I was unable to finish two separate interval workouts and a tempo run. So I wasn't sure what to expect.

My first mile seemed promising. The data shows it as 7:16/mile. I just continued on at what I thought was an even pace and I closed out the second mile in 7:18.

On the final mile I could feel people picking up their paces and I did so as well. I could feel myself double puffing right before Mile 3 and it really did feel like how I felt in those races in which I've logged a sub-7 mile. The data says I did this mile in 6:56, which would be the first time in any race in which I've run a sub-7 for the last part of the race.

I remembered to tell myself to not wait until we entered the field to kick since there isn't really too much race left at that point. So I did right after Mile 3 and really tried to motivate myself to kick hard on the warning track. I was running so fast that my shirt was riding up over my belly. 

Right before the finish line, I mean no more than 20 feet, some middle-aged guy stopped to catch his breath before continuing. It caused me to slow down and alter my path a little bit but I wasn't too concerned as it was the end of the race.

I ended up with 22:26, which is now my third fastest 5K time and the fastest 5K I've done outside of my PR at the May 30 Kettle Krush 5K. I felt happy that I ran a solid race and despite the race conditions (hot, hilly) performed well. My Saucony Type A6 shoes were again excellent when I needed them most. I think I might just use them in these kinds of races and do interval training with my older Skechers Go Run 3s.

Beets: We had takeout last night so I didn't make my usual beet salad. But the other day at Whole Foods I picked up Red Ace Organic Beet Performance Supplement, a 2-ounce bottle that claims to have 3 beets in it. I drank it -- it didn't taste bad at all -- an hour before the race started. I'll have to get a case of this stuff since my legs were not sore at all when the race ended.

Time: 7:30 a.m.

Temp: 78 degrees but breezy

Gear: Technical T-shirt, short (Charles Harris 2009), shorts, Saucony Type A6.