View Workout (Jesse Jaeger)

Return to Log

(Untitled)

August 10, 2008 (Morning)

Exercise Type: Run

Comments:
RACE- Leesburg 10k

2 mile warmup

Pretty good pace, not too fast but had lots of hop in my step. Excited for running in any race with good runners ahead of me. Did basic striders and stuff on the line.

The Race (too lazy to rewrite so copying what I sent in an e-mail the other day)

At the start I took off just behind the leaders in fourth place with third a few meters ahead of me, and first and second about 20m ahead. Because the results from previous years had the first few runners in low 30s I thought they were going out in mid 4:50s. I felt really good and fresh so I thought I came through the mile around 5:10. I also passed third as we were going down hill about .75 miles in because I felt really good and I thought he was going to fall back into the pack.

Around 1.5 miles my hamstrings cramped up completely, I didn't feel like I stopped moving but I definitely noticed myself slowing down. The guy I passed had passed me back and then kept pulling away. I would put my head down and drive to stay with him but my legs were just not responding at all, it was a really weird feeling, especially so early in the race. Everything felt fine, my breathing was great and my legs weren't dead, they just wouldn't move, I couldn't get my hamstrings to drive.

I kept pushing as hard as I could the third mile and felt fine, but my legs still just wouldn't get going. Just before reaching the three mile mark I was passed by someone else. I didn't let it bother me though and I worked hard to stay with him, I really didn't want to let him get away because I wasn't tired or fatigued, but sure enough my legs just wouldn't move to stay with him. Once I hit three miles I realized once I reached the turn around point I would kick it into gear and really start moving because I for some reason felt like I had a lot more in me all of a sudden. I turned around and thought I began picking up the pace.

As I reached the fourth mile I finally felt my legs open up out of nowhere and start to move. I was pretty much running as fast as my legs would move and I felt fine doing it. I was breathing heavy but I wasn't out of breathe, it was just me running pretty much as fast as I could go, but leaving a little in the reserve so I didn't completely bomb my last mile. Hit the 5th mile and kept moving. Still moving hard as I could and really driving forward well I was just shy of the 6th mile and saw my mom. I looked over and even said to her "Man I'm tired" jokingly because I knew I was running really well, and I wasn't out of breathe, and I thought I was actually running a pretty good overall time still. I knew I had lost two people on the way out but I still thought I was moving well, even though I could feel my hamstrings cramp going out I still thought I had only slowed a little, and only a little off of what I thought was roughly 5:08-10 first mile.

The last 400m I kicked all of the way in as fast as I can; I didn't do an over exaggerated stride or crazy kick but I kept myself together and moved well all of the way in. As I got closer to the line I saw the clock and became very disappointed because I thought I was running well.

My mile splits were:
5:17
5:31
5:54
5:44
5:22
5:15
66 last 400m (uphill)

I was really disappointed but really happy I was able to do that the last 2.25 miles with no one to run after and hearing no one behind me. I now somewhat regret not looking at my watch because if I had I feel like I would have been able to better realize I was slower than I thought at the start so I would have moved more in the beginning. I thought this was a good representation of my fitness level though because I was able to bounce back negative splitting the race (something I have never, ever come close to doing before). Although my time was slow, I still don't have the tempo training for an opening 5:10 to feel easy, so being able to come back so fast shows that I definitely have the endurance.

Also stayed on my toes throughout the whole race which is a first. Never been able to do that before, very cool. Only problem is that because I don't have speed/strength training there was no force behind being able to push off when I landed on my toes so I technically wasn't getting the benefit you should from running on the balls of your feet. Heel-striking you just roll your foot on the ground and carry your legs through a stride, but by landing on your toes you are able to actually put force behind your step to drive yourself forward.

Did a mile cool down.