Boston Marathon Training: 12 Weeks Till Race Day
Week 5: 1/27/20-2/2/20
Recap: Completed Weekly Mileage 28.1
My journey to sub 19 minutes in the 5k is not over! After weeks of specific training for the 5k, I clocked in at 19:01, a 19 second Personal Record and Personal Best! I could not be more thrilled and ecstatic of my 6:08/mi average, 3rd age group win, and 7th overall female finisher. To say I’m freaking proud of this accomplishment is an understatement..Y’all, I haven’t been able to touch my 5k PR of 19:20 since 2017! AND this time last year, my hamstring injury blew up which derailed me from any major time goals for almost a whole year.
But with the lows comes the highs. It was time to START doing ALL the right things such as strength training, cross training, support of my team mates on @runarete, and a specific 5k training plan & coaching from @run4prs & @run4prs.coachbenjacobs . I GAVE IT MY ALL! I LOVED the process. And MOST of all, I learned so much more about myself and I’m grateful for it.
Lesson of the week: Stay Strong in the wind!
Race day did not hold favorable weather. I truly believe I lost seconds in the 5k due to gusts of wind up that clocked in at 25mph. During the last mile of the race, I held on with every step as wind push me back. Reminding myself to relax the shoulders and upper body, I pushed and stayed strong to not give in to slowing down. I wanted this PR more than ever! Last 0.10 of the 5k, I could see the clock slowing ticking closer to 19 minutes. With all my might, I pushed as fast as I could to break the 19 minute mark. Sadly, I came in 2 seconds of sub 18 minutes. I’m proud of my effort and PR. It’s completely satisfying knowing I did everything I could on race day to run strong despite the weather.
Training log:
Goal : Kaiser SF 5k
Reality: 3.1 mi at 6:08/mi
Mon, 1/27/20: Rest Day
Tues, 1/28/20: 5 mile recovery run with 5x20sec strides
Stride splits: 5:45, 5:41, 5:43, 5:33, 5:18
Total miles: 5.01mi at 9:19/mi
Wed, 1/29/20: Strength workout 6x 0.25 mi at 5:45-6:00/mi
Mile intervals: 5:49, 5:48, 5:46, 5:45, 5:47, 5:39
Total miles: 8:01mi at 8:36/mi
Thurs, 1/30/20: 5 mile recovery run with 5x20sec strides
Stride splits: 5:10, 5:11, 5:03, 5:11, 4:59
Total miles: 5.0 mi at 9:13/mi
Fri, 1/31/20: 40 minutes of cross training
Sat, 2/1/20: 5 mile recovery run with 5x20sec strides
Stride splits: 5:42, 4:51, 5:03, 4:47, 4:39
Total miles: 5.19 mi at 8:46/mi
Sun, 2/2/20: Kaiser SF 5k
Mile splits: 6:05, 6:00, 6:01*
*Mile splits were off slightly off on course. These are taken from my Garmin Watch.
Total time: 19:01
Total miles: 3.17 miles
Favorite treat of the week:
BEER! During training, my alcohol intake decreases significantly due to what my body is craving, ie: water & electrolytes > alcohol. This week, I craved beer post race so I treated myself to Sufferfest Beer’s FKT. This pale ale is brewed with salt and black currant. Tastes like that delicious rich pale ale beer that you crave with the added benefits for your body.
Photo taken by my Arete teammate, Cat during Kaiser SF 5k on Sunday, February 2, 2020