Persimmon 5k PR

I can't believe it has been 3 years since I've taken a legitimate shot at a 5k PR. My previous PR was set at this same race back in 2009. In 2010, my son was just born and I wasn't in PR shape. Last year I was in great shape but I tweaked my back right before the race and was forced to take a couple days off of running. So as the race approached this year I was extra careful not to do anything foolish that would prevent me from racing.

I'm in the middle of marathon training for the Monumental Marathon (Nov 3rd) so I didn't really train specifically for this race. I did make some slight adjustments to my training plan to get some more 5k specific workouts in. One such change was to convert my 10 x 800s into 20 x 400s so that I could focus on a little faster pace as suggested in the speed thread here. I'm not sure that it made or makes much of a difference but I did that 11 days out. I fair much better in endurance type events so I figured that I needed to do anything that I could to improve my top end speed.

Race day rolled around and it was a beautiful morning for a race with fog and 53 degrees at the start. There were about 200 runners in the race and I knew at least a dozen of them. I positioned myself on the front line among-st several familiar faces. Prior to the race we talked and wished each other well. The gun sounded and I was out as one of the top 10 runners. I crossed the first mile marker right on my planned pace of 5:35. Obviously the goal was to hold that pace and possibly negative split the course. I fell off the pace a bit with a 5:42 second mile. The third mile features a shall hill which cost me even more time. The end result was 5 place with a time of 17:41 for a 17 second PR.

I had to leave to pickup my son right after the race so I wasn't able to stay for the awards ceremony. I had a friend collect my prize. Later I heard that she picked up my award but it said that it was for the 20 - 24 age group and I thought they had just given her the wrong one. The funny thing is that they had me registered as a 23 year old and I actually won that age group.

Nice race, Tim. Pretty funny about the AG thing - I bet you made all those whippersnappers (who am I kidding?) feel pretty slow that they got rocked by an old guy.

I think even 5:35s would be well within your reach had you been focusing entirely on this distance. But onward, to the marathon!

Wow, great race. Kick those 20-somethings to the curb, old man!

Congrats on an excellent run, Tim! All your training is indeed paying off.

Good gosh Tim - heck of a race!!!!! I thought maybe I could get somewhere in the vicinity of your times someday, but I think now I had better stick to swimming! Great job!

I think I would rather morph into actually being 23 than have a 17:41 5K PR but you got both of those! That's a tremendous time. My stretch goal for myself is to get to 17:59 at 5K someday but you went so far beyond what I would even shoot for! You sure sound ready to pop a great marathon.

Dang man, that is a seriously fast time for a warmup 5k race to a marathon. Nice job, youngster!

I regret I clicked in. Tim is awesom, but intimidating.

Great job Tim. Looks like you took down the AG record here. As I'm in that AG it's nice to see the times to strive for. Congrats.

@Mike MacLellan wrote:Nice race, Tim. Pretty funny about the AG thing - I bet you made all those whippersnappers (who am I kidding?) feel pretty slow that they got rocked by an old guy.

I think even 5:35s would be well within your reach had you been focusing entirely on this distance. But onward, to the marathon!

Thanks Mike, that's right, on to the marathon.

@Michael Enright wrote:Wow, great race. Kick those 20-somethings to the curb, old man!

Hey, who are you calling old

@Michele "1L" Keane wrote:Congrats on an excellent run, Tim! All your training is indeed paying off.

Thanks Michele, it is indeed.

@John Kilpatrick wrote:Good gosh Tim - heck of a race!!!!! I thought maybe I could get somewhere in the vicinity of your times someday, but I think now I had better stick to swimming! Great job!

Thanks, You'll get there John. Just don't give up hope.

@Chris M wrote:I think I would rather morph into actually being 23 than have a 17:41 5K PR but you got both of those! That's a tremendous time. My stretch goal for myself is to get to 17:59 at 5K someday but you went so far beyond what I would even shoot for! You sure sound ready to pop a great marathon.

You and I both brother. Let the morphing begin. Thanks Chris

@Joel H wrote:Dang man, that is a seriously fast time for a warmup 5k race to a marathon. Nice job, youngster!

Thanks Joel!

@Jerry wrote:I regret I clicked in. Tim is awesom, but intimidating.

Ha, just means you'll have to train a little harder speedy.

@Alex Kubacki wrote:Great job Tim. Looks like you took down the AG record here. As I'm in that AG it's nice to see the times to strive for. Congrats.

Thanks Alex, I'll have to see if I can take down some of Ed's times now that he has moved on to the next age group.

Congrats on the PR, especially in the midst of marathon training. That's definitely not ideal for V02Max conditioning and leg speed, so its even more impressive!

@Dave-O wrote:Congrats on the PR, especially in the midst of marathon training. That's definitely not ideal for V02Max conditioning and leg speed, so its even more impressive!

Thanks Dave, I just wish it was closer to predicting my goal marathon.

@Mark B wrote:Great job on the PR, Tim. That is seriously speedy, especially without specific training.

I would have loved to have seen the look on your face when you got the AG award.

Yea, well, I had to run to pickup Rowan so I wasn't able to attend the award ceremony. I've contacted the race director to fix the problem and exchange awards for the appropriate one. He was thankful because it is a series and it would have skewed the series standings.

How did I miss this? Great job, Tim and congratulations, especially on winning the 20-24 age group which should be a tough group to win. Nice PR. I have seen the thread about the 20x440 and think I am going to incorporate it as well at least one time. Congratulations.

@JohnP wrote:How did I miss this? Great job, Tim and congratulations, especially on winning the 20-24 age group which should be a tough group to win. Nice PR. I have seen the thread about the 20x440 and think I am going to incorporate it as well at least one time. Congratulations.

Thanks John. Good thing my buddy Scott is out in Oregon right now or else I wouldn't have have had a chance at the 20-24 AG. The 20 x 400 is a extremely tough workout, especially if you run at or under 5k pace. The one minute recover goes from being an excessive amount of time to being exceptionally short.

@T Miller wrote:

@JohnP wrote:How did I miss this? Great job, Tim and congratulations, especially on winning the 20-24 age group which should be a tough group to win. Nice PR. I have seen the thread about the 20x440 and think I am going to incorporate it as well at least one time. Congratulations.

Thanks John. Good thing my buddy Scott is out in Oregon right now or else I wouldn't have have had a chance at the 20-24 AG. The 20 x 400 is a extremely tough workout, especially if you run at or under 5k pace. The one minute recover goes from being an excessive amount of time to being exceptionally short.

Gonna +1 that. I wish I'd run all of mine at- or sub-5k pace.

Sweet PR Tim! Doesn't it feel great to be able to get faster and stronger with age. Keep up the awesome training and continue to test the limits of what us old folks can do! I have to admit though I won't mind being 23 again and being on Dead tour!

I thought this was supposed to be a fun run. Nice PR. I thought you were a lot younger, yeah. Looks like those local races I grew up on back in Ohio.