Since this is the only flat race I run, I wanted to try targeting a pace rather than a HR zone. My difficulty was I didn't really know what pace to target. My last previous 5k was this one a year ago, when my time was 27:18, a pace of 8:48. I've been doing no speed work this fall, just balanced triathlon base training geared towards next year, plus the two cross-country races. I wanted to break 27:00, (8:43) but that was kind of an arbitrary goal based on a nice round number. I decided to shoot for an 8:45 pace with the option of reevaluating it mid-race, depending on how I felt.
I didn't even look at my Garmin for the first 2 minutes, carried away away as I typically am by the early flow of effortless speed. Then I began to rein myself in to something near my target pace, but for the entire first mile I was unfatigued and fast--probably too fast. I was surprised at the mile marker to find that my time was only 8:24. I thought I should reduce my target pace, but wasn't sure by how much; and anyway, the Garmin was annoying because the real-time pace showing had a much wider variability than my actual pace. I had set it to also show average pace, so I kept my eye on that, and it was soon holding steady at 8:38.
The second mile was harder than the first, partly because we were now running directly into a 10 mph headwind (cold and raw off the inlet); and also the fatique was accumulating. By the start of the third mile I could see that my pace had slowed, but my average was still looking good. At mile 2.5, where I like to accelerate again, I found myself working hard just to maintain the pace I had, but my Garmin was still showing an average to give me a sub-27:00. I was really disappointed when the finish came into view and the race clock showed I was not quite going to make that goal, although I managed a hard sprint the last 30 seconds or so.
Even though my overall effort level was high, if I could compare it with other races I would say that the degree to which I was trashed, measured by how long I had to walk around afterwards just breathing, was not quite as high as at my most recent cross-country effort.

Learn how to quit relying on the Garmin so much because its accuracy is limited. I really need to dig into RPE and learn to read that better. I think for my next cross-country race this upcoming Sunday I'll wear the Garmin but won't look at it at all except to identify my acceleration point. This will be especially interesting because it's 6k not 5.

Walked around just a bit, just to go put on warm clothes. Had my Recoverite drink & half a recovery bar, plus an apple. Rolled & stretched on the grass. Went home & took a long walk in the woods.


Inexperience at pacing & at RPE. I think I probably went out too fast. I forgot to call on all the mental imagery I had prepared.


This is a big community event benefiting locally-based cancer support services. There's a walkathon as well as the 5k, zumba dancing, and a pancake breakfast afterwards. There are musicians playing all along the race route. The musicians have to suffer the most on a cold nasty day like this because they're out in the weather for a long time without gloves. I made sure to yell a thank you to each group as I ran by.