Chilly Chili 5k

I decided to start the new year with a hard effort. I hadn't been running a whole lot leading up to this race and I certainly haven't done any speed work. To top that off I'm about 10 pounds heavier than my race weight at Ironman Florida two months ago. I haven't done a 5k in over a year I think. I was hoping I might be able to break 20 minutes but figured it would be a stretch considering the points mentioned earlier. Running and body weight have a huge factor in speed. We awoke to one of the coldest days of the winter plus we got 3-4 inches of snow the previous afternoon. It was bitter, bitter cold. The morning started with temps in the single digits with strong winds. Not a good day to run hard and fast....oh well.

I started up front and could see the leaders through the first mile and I was in the top 10-12. I ran the first 1st mile in 6:16 but it was flat to downhill but I was ahead of schedule. My 2 mile split was 13:xx so I fell behind schedule but the 2nd mile was mostly uphill. I have never seen the course so I didn't know what the third mile would bring but it had to be downhill if I was going to hit my target. Unfortunately, there was the biggest hill on the course and I hit an all-time new high heart rate trying to get up that hill. I wasn't feeling too optimistic at this point but settled into the fastest pace I could maintain. At the top of the hill I saw 18:xx on my watch an knew unless I had rocket boosters, I wasn't going to break 20 minutes. I finished in 20:48 or something, 6:43 pace. Better fitness, less body weight, and better conditions will bring me that sub 20 minute 5k before too long. I finished in 17th overall out of 284 people. The best part of the race was watching a 90 year old man run and finish the race....something to strive for.