Oomph, where to start with the Corona Del Mar Scenic 5k? On one hand, I’m happy for a course PR of 3 seconds. On the other hand, I was hoping for faster, and I’m in the shape to go faster. In fact, just a couple of weeks ago I ran a sub-20-minute 5k during training. BUT…the Corona Del Mar Scenic 5k is a very hard course with a lot of elevation gain in the last mile.
While 150 feet of elevation gain doesn’t seem bad, when you are running 5k pace and a lot of it is in the third mile, it’s not easy. Anyway, I digress.
Before the Corona Del Mar Scenic 5k:
I left work an hour later than I wanted to, and this added an extra 90 minutes to my drive because of traffic. Going through Los Angeles/Anaheim is always a bear, especially on Fridays, and I got to Corona Del Mar much later than I had hoped. I was a bit grouchy, but I picked up my bib and then went to the hotel. Luckily, the Corona Del Mar Scenic 5k starts a bit later for women (8:20 am), so I was able to sleep in a bit.
For some reason, I forgot that the men started at 7:55, and I misjudged what time I actually wanted to be at the race. I usually like to arrive an hour before, but with this race, I always come an hour before the men because parking at the beach cuts right through the course and I don’t want to deal with road closures. Anyway, luckily I was one of the last cars to get parking.
During my warmup, I knew I just felt flat. I chalked it up to having a very long work week, but I hoped I would feel better. I didn’t feel bad, but I didn’t feel like I had any pop in the legs.
Corona Del Mar Scenic 5k:
The men and women start at different times for the Corona Del Mar Scenic 5k. I always like this because it’s fun to race women only, and I rarely get to do that. I was second for two years in a row with times of… As the gun went off, I immediately knew I would not be second. There were some fast women there, and that’s ok. Plus, my legs just felt mid. During the first mile, I found myself in 6th overall. There is a little bit of uphill, and I honestly just felt super flat, like I was going through the motions but not racing. I ran the first mile of the Corona Del Mar Scenic 5k in 6:24, which I actually thought was my fastest yet (it wasn’t).
During the second mile, I passed two women. The second mile is the fastest because it’s neutral elevation with some downhill. I ran a 6:33, and I once again thought it was my fastest.
During the third mile of the Corona Del Mar Scenic 5k was where all the action happened. First, the hills, but second, I was gaining on the fourth-place woman and was only a few steps behind her. As we came around a turn, I opted to pass her with about half a mile to go. The last half mile goes over rolling hills as well as a very narrow pedestrian bridge, and I just pushed as hard as I could. You can see the clock about 30 seconds before, and I saw it click 19:59…20. I crossed the Corona Del Mar Scenic 5k finish line in 20:25.
Corona Del Mar Scenic 5k Thoughts:
I only had a Corona Del Mar Scenic 5k course PR because I ran the third mile 6 seconds faster than in previous years. Which I am still proud of because it’s a challenging/hard third mile. I do wish I had been closer to 20:15, but I know my body was not feeling it. Luckily, there are more 5ks to go this summer.
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Questions for you:
What is the hardest race you’ve run?
Are you training for anything now?