October 21st, 2011

WOD:

Run a 5K

Time: Just under 25 minutes (24:59?)

Ran a 5K on a route I have run many times starting and ending at driveway. I usually run alone, but today I ran it with my friend Ryan and his brother-in-law Tim.

My best 5k time (only 'my' course) previously was just under 26 minutes. Just before we started the run I asked Ryan's what his was and it was 21+ minutes. Then Tim said that Ryan had brought him because he was a slow runner. So when we started I had the following thoughts bouncing around in my head:

- Ryan is going run me into the ground, I can't let him get ahead of me

- I can't get beat by Tim (who is a self-proclaimed 'slow runner')

We headed out a pretty good pace. I try not to run long distances with a watch any more, because I find I either stick to too slow a pace or it can discourage me if I hit a landmark distance point in a long run and realize that I am already behind my pace based on time alone. The majority of the run I was at the front of the pack (not really in the lead, we were all running at about the same pace) because I was not going to let someone who was a 'slow runner' beat me.  BTW, slow runner my ass.

Long story short, I stayed slightly at the front the whole way until the last couple of hundred yards. At that point, Tim pulled ahead slightly and Ryan and I raced to finish side-by-side. Our time for the run was just under 25 minutes (a PR, but not a huge one) and Ryan said that the distance felt longer than a 5K. Maybe my course is a little long?