View Workout (Jesse Jaeger)

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Race Day

July 4, 2008 (Morning)

Exercise Type: Run

Comments:
Dundalk Heritage 6k Race

Wanted to go out at a quick, comfortable rhythm and see how long I could hold it. I just wanted to roll, wasn't planning to be running with anyone from the start because I thought I would be going out too fast.

The race:
Started out fine except I followed the lead motorcycle cop and he lead us out the wrong side of the entrance to the college so that cost me 5-6 seconds and made me work to get in the lead again. I just wanted to lead once I saw the group that was there. Took me only a couple seconds to make up that gap.

Then I just started rolling. I wasn't thinking about what I was doing at all, just keeping rhythm and staying in front, I had no idea where anyone was around me. Eventually I heard/saw a couple people come and go next to me. I came through the mile at 5:12 with Sean Loper and Matt Klaschus next to me. As nice as it was that I wasn't alone, I was a bit frustrated that they were next to me/I went out so slow. I was planning to go out a lot faster at a ridiculous pace, sub 5 at minimum. I knew my pace would fall one way or another so I really wanted to see how this mileage was going to help when I went out that fast.

During the second mile I paid a little more attention to running tangents so I wasn't weaving everywhere like the first mile. Matt would sometimes make an appearance next to me or I would feel him just behind on my shoulder. During the second mile is when I also realized I had been slowing down on the turns because of the lead bike cop. I wound up passing the cop twice in the second mile because I had room to do it and didn't want to keep slowing down for him. Around 1.75 miles Matt took about a 1 step lead on me. I don't think I let him hold it more than 10 meters before I took it back and just started rolling on my pace again. I wasn't struggling or beat, I was just going as fast as my legs wanted to move so when I zoned out I would slow down a little. My 2 mile split was 10:31.

I came through the third mile doing the same things. I could feel myself slowing down but only because I would just forget to keep myself moving. Staring at the same two blue and red lights flashing in front of you, not caring about anyone behind you, being in the lead, taking in the same smell of exhaust from being on the lead bike's ass, and not being tired you just kind of zone out about how fast you are really going. I would notice and feel myself push every now and again to get back in a fast rhythmn. I ran the third mile in 5:33 with Matt I think about 10m behind me after still putting up a really good, and frustrating battle with me.

Once I hit the third mile I forgot about everything. A 6k is an odd length race with over .6 extra miles and I didn't want to get lost in that. So I just ran. After a minute or so I looked down at my watch just to get a guesstimate on how much I had left to see if I should pick it up or not. It was around 18:30 the first time I looked so I started to pick it up a little bit. Then I saw where the finish used to be on the right side, so when I turned left I picked it up some more not knowing where it would end. Once I looked down and saw 19:33 on my watch I was frustrated I had not already finished as I did not know my third mile was so slow. I didn't slow down really, but I also stopped kicking up through the gears to a faster pace.

Finished first in 20 flat and running an extra 10-20 meters.

Only reason I was frustrated during the race was because I thought with how much training I've been doing I would be faster, and that I thought I was going to break everyone early. I forgot to take into account all my focus has been is long runs, and from that perspective I ran great. I realized that if Matt had run next to me the whole way I could have held a leisurely conversation with him if I wanted. Not at one point was I out of breathe or afraid of wasting energy. The other thing is that I had done 60 miles earlier in the week (5 days) and 10 miles the night before, hadn't slept the night of the race, and still went out there and ran with a VERY tight calf from cramping in a pool earlier in the week, and a sore hip from god knows what. I wound up actually running a great race considering the training I had done and I had not prepared for the race. I also realized that one month ago with only 13 days of training I was beat by almost 30 seconds by the guys I beat by almost 20 or so seconds today.