intofitness.net

Yesterday’s Shelter Island 5K was most definitely a very cool event.

Big time amenities:

• Flat course - thank you, I appreciate that!
• Free champagne brunch for the participants
• Cool t-shirt

Not so fun:

Only one downer — the weather was a little on the cool side, not so cold that it was uncomfortable while running, but mainly after the run when my sweat was drying really fast and cooling my body temperature.

Kathy Loper typically hosts some great events, and this was no exception.  With adaptive therapies for injured soldiers as the cause, my wife, son and I were pleased to participate in this event with our entry fees benefiting such a worthy cause.

Results: (Also, check out my runningahead.com results summary.)

• Official time = 21:56
• Unofficial time = 21:54
• Age Group (40-44): 12/46
• Overall: 73/920

I’m pleased with my results considering it’s my first race ever, and after only four weeks of running.  I entered the race with three goals:

1. Beat Trainer Murray
2. Finish in under 22 minutes
3. Beat my fastest time

I accomplished two of the three, but did not beat my previous fastest 5K practice time of 21:42.

I am amazed at how fast people can run, even in their old age.  There were some 50+ year olds who had faster times than me and faster than people much younger.  The winner was 36 years old with a time of 16:02.  The first three finishers in my age group finished around 19 minutes.  My son was saying that running speed at this level is almost independent of age, and with people in their 30s through 50s running at these times, I have to agree with him. 

What I learned:

1. Save some gas for the end.
   I definitely came out of the gates way too fast.  My one-mile time was around 6:40.  Strangely, it didn’t feel like I was running that fast.  By 1.5 miles, I met my milestone marker of being under 9 minutes, but by the last half-mile of the race, I was tired.  I tried sprinting for the last half-mile, but my legs and lungs rebelled.  I did, however, sprint the last quarter-mile, but by then it was too late to beat my previous best time.
2. Stick with a routine with eating.
   I really liked how I did not drastically alter my pre-race breakfast: cereal with non-fat milk, fruit, and coffee (grande, iced skinny vanilla latte from Sbux).  The only new item I added to my pre-race diet was a free drink mix sample I received called CytoMax (Cool Citrus flavor).
3. Be sure to get to bed early the night before.
   I went to bed at 10 PM.  I probably could have gone to bed at 9 instead.  Because I was excited about the race, I didn’t sleep very well.  I might consider taking some Melatonin next time to help me sleep.
4. Enjoy the improvements and gains made while training.
   Hard work pays off.  And while I may not have reached all my goals, I am content with my progress in learning this new sport.