July Training: Summer of 5ks Pt 2

My goal for July was to run as many 5ks as possible. I mostly did that, but there aren’t as many races in Los Angeles in July. My goal for the summer is to be under 20 minutes. As it comes closer to the summer, and I’ve *only* run 20:18, I wonder if that will happen.

Stats:

Miles run: 317

Rest days: 5

Range of paces: 6:23-12:15-untimed

Swimming: 19.84 miles (8 swims)

Races:

Christmas in July 5k (21:00)

Run Forest Run 5k (20:19)

Pacific Palisades Will Rogers 10k (45:12)

Angels 5k (19:40)

Thoughts:

My goal for the summer is to break 20 minutes in the 5k. While that used to be such an “easy” thing for me, it no longer is and takes a lot of work. So far, my fastest 5k is 20:19, with the end of summer just a month away. I don’t feel like I’ve made much progress with speed in the last month, but it’s also been hot (yes, even in Los Angeles). So in my head, I know the heat is partly the reason, but it still doesn’t make it easier.

July was a hectic month, and it flew by. I was lucky to enjoy my birthday kayaking in the Channel Islands with Jen Miller. That was a lot of fun, and as I celebrated a year at my current job, it was nice to reflect that I could take a day off work and no one missed me.

Regarding racing, I raced about half of the weekends but opted to stay home the other half between being gone and tired. I don’t regret that choice. The summer also brings a few midweek races, so I figured I *had raced enough*. At this time in my life, running and leaving the area is bringing me a lot more than just “racing.” Of course, I get a hard effort somewhere new, but getting out of the desert and either seeing friends or meeting new people has been a lot of fun.

I decided to race a 10k on July 4th and surprised myself with a 45:12. Now, that isn’t incredibly fast, especially when my PR is 7 minutes faster. Still, the course was extremely challenging, climbing over 400 feet in 2 miles. It was like the challenge of a trail race but on the road. I was happy to come in 5th overall.

I was surprised by how hot and humid Fresno was when I ran 21:00 flat 5k. I was disappointed with the time, but I also know the weather wasn’t great, and honestly, my body didn’t feel great either. I could keep all 3 miles under 7 minutes, a miracle because my body did not feel great. As I reflect, my last “bad” race was the wine run in Washington, and I ran 27 seconds slower. So I am making progress.

I’ve been trying to swim in the pool at least once a week. It’s funny; I’ve been able to make running and working full-time work fairly well. (and even blogging, LOL), but with the pool hours and my “Regular” office hours, swimming just hasn’t fit in as well as I like. I try to log some laps on the weekends and whenever possible during the week.

I’m looking forward to running a fast, flat 5k, although I’m unsure when. I’ll be gone for a solid week (and two weekends) in August, and then I’m doing a 15k and 5-mile race towards the end of the month.