My my second 5K of my career today ran a 21:42. It was faster than my race at Eagle, by over a minute, but I was looking to do 21:00. I had two guys about 50 or so meters away, but unlike my last race at Eagle, had nothing left in the tank. I asked my body to go, but nothing was there. I did not really warm up that long(about 1 or 2 minutes). It was really cold, I guess 35 degrees, but I ran in just my shorts and my long sleeve black top to keep my upper torso warm and wore a warm hat.
I know I was just walking 3 months ago, but felt I could have done better. I just did not have any air left at the end.
Thanks to Monica and Dave with meeting me at the bridge to encourage me on. I also want to thank Liz who was at the finish line.
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Hey Kevin,
This was a great trial run. It is a good idea to have a trial run every once in a while to see where you are at the moment. This 5K race was an excellent opportunity to test your body and provide information regarding your fitness after this short base period of training. After a race or a hard training run it is also a good idea to ask yourself two questions:
1. What did I do well?
2. What did I learn?
With your inexperience in racing, it is difficult to compare what you did well and what you can learn from the race. As you race more, you will be able to look back and compare and contrast what works for you.
In general, here are a few things you may consider asking yourself:
1. How was my pacing? Postivie/Even/Negative splits?
2. How well did I follow the racing routine? Warm up for 10 min, stretch, 3x100 strides, race, cool down 10 minutes? (I will be at your next race to help you remember the routine).
3. What adversity did I contend with before & during the race? How was my psyche dealing with adversity? Mental toughness?
Personally, I thought you raced very well, especially for this being your second race. You put a lot of pressure on yourself (it's good to have high goals in my opinion, but high anxiety is not good...sometimes it is difficult to balance, and it certainly takes practice.) The lack of warm up and the very cold weather can effect a race and I am almost certain you could've shaved off 30 seconds just due to those factors. Your desire and dedication in your running will get you where ever you want to be. Don't hesitate to make an appointment with one of us to consider goal development at any time during your training.
Kevin, I also thought you would appreciate this peice. During an interview with Olympic Gold Medalist Joaquim Cruz, below is his response to, basically, the characteristics of a winner. Of course, there are personality differences in athletes, but generally, I believe he communicates this very well for most high achievers.
What is the profile of an Olympic level runner?
Answer:
1- Self confident and timid at the same time. He wants to be the center of attention and at the same time he hides, he avoids people, doesn't mingle, he disappears. I am able to understand it because I have seen both sides. When the athlete is at his best he avoids the crowd because they are not doing well. They tend to focus on what is negative such as "the food is not good. " The athlete who is well prepared focuses on what is really important, and tends to shy away in order to maintain his self confidence.
2- Respects the opponents in the sense that they are as important as he is in the competition.
3-He is not afraid of or intimidated by the presence of other good athletes in the race; he sees it as a challenge which will help him run better.
4-Doesn't talk much; he knows that he's going to run his best, but he doesn't talk about it.
When asked, "what is your advice to those who want to become an athlete at the Olympic level?" Joaquim said: "We are responsible for our actions, you are what you informed your mind you wanted to be. If you want to limit your mind..that's what you're going to become and you will have limited results. Focus on what you want."
Joaquim Cruz has qualified for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, and is presently competing in Europe/South America.. He resides in San Diego and is a regular speaker on panels and seminars on Olympic athletes. He is an active member of the Athlete's Commission for the International Athletic Federation, working to protect the Olympic athletes' interests.
You can read the article in it's entirety at http://www.selfhelpmagazine.com/articles/sports/winner.html
So my hope for you Kevin is to feel positive about what you are doing and where you are going in your running.... you should feel good about it, because you have a tremendous amount of drive and talent and it will take you where ever you want to go. However, be patient with yourself. I know how you sprinters are with patience, but all athletes must go through the process of becoming great! Keep on keepin' on!
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