The Heroes to Hero 5k is a race I look forward to and enjoy. The race is a point-to-point. It’s in memory of three local firefighters who passed away in 2002. It begins at a local fire department and ends at another. During the race, it passes the homes of the three fallen heroes and retraces the paths that each one took when the night they passed away when in the line of duty. It’s a wonderfully put on race.
Personally, I’ve been struggling with anxiety before shorter races. I seem to get nervous and almost talk myself out of racing lately. I arrived at the station around 7:30, did a few miles to warm up, got on the bus and got to the start around 8:30. Waiting around for 30 minutes was rough in the rain, but there wasn’t much of another option.
At the start, I talked to a few friends, and by the time I knew it, we were off. The roads were slippery, and I struggled with getting into a groove. My legs felt tired, but they weren’t stiff. My goal was just to run faster than last the last 5k. The first mile went up a short hill and around a few turns. I struggled with not slipping. It’s one of the first races I felt like I was close to slipping and couldn’t get a good grip on the ground. My first mile was 6:16 and I felt satisfied.
During the next mile, I could see the two women in front of me. I caught a few males and kept pressing forward. Point to point courses are great until you realize you might encounter more headwind versus tailwind. I hit mile 2 in 6:16 and felt satisfied.
During the next mile, I found myself catching up the 2nd place women. I was pushing myself as fast as my body would allow. I didn’t feel tired or sore, but my legs just could not get the turnover and move faster.
That lack of turnover is being tired from marathon training as well as less speed work. I wanted to catch her, but by 2.8, she pulled away. I hit mile 3 in 6:06 and finished in 19:12.
I’m happy with my result. It can be hard not to compare from previous years and fitness. I am slowly getting faster in the 5k this fall. It might not be as fast as I would like, but my legs are also fatigued with long runs.
Questions for you:
Do you race in a different shoe if it’s raining?
Have you done a point to point race before?
That’s a really great cause for a race. It still seems like you ran a great race, especially since you are getting ready to run a marathon in a few weeks! Sorry if you’ve mentioned this before, but what kind of rain jacket do you wear? I need a new one because my saucony one recently ripped!
Thank you Megan! I really like Goretex and Gore Wear. They are breathable and completely water proof. Plus they have a lifetime warranty….they are more pricey but since going to completely to Gore, I haven’t been miserable in torrential downpours or bought another jacket. Let me know if you have any specific questions!