I made a consistent effort to keep my HR down in Z1-Z2 for as long as possible. The goal was to do a sub-12 minute average - which would put me at 3:06 or better - but really, I was focused more on the heart rate than anything else. I just wanted to make it through without cracking like I did last year, and I had to fight the urge to speed up from the 2nd lap onwards.

The first lap was just trying to find my rhythm. I wasn't doing that well and I had a bad feeling the night may not go well by the way I felt in the 1st lap. I was keeping a decent pace & my HR was in the generally right area, I just wasn't settled in. Fortunately I started to feel better in the 2nd lap, and from that point on I was a f*cking metronome. I mean, look at these 5k lap times:

Lap 2 36:22.9 11:42/M
Lap 3 36:49.2 11:51/M
Lap 4 36:39.9 11:48/M

Tick, tick, tick, tick....I was zoned out, listening to my music and keeping the HR under control. By the 4th lap, I started pondering how I was going to handle the 5th lap. My HR was starting to move up, but was still manageable. I wanted to pick up the pace, but I really didn't want to crack like last year. I made a deal with myself that if I kept to the plan for the whole 4th lap, I'd take off on the 5th lap and see how I did. The 4th lap came to an end and as I passed Karen, I handed her my Camelbak and told her that I was taking off. I think my words were something to the effect of "I'm not f*cking holding back any f*cking more". So I didn't hold back. After walking the aid station they had at the beginning of the lap & drinking some Nuun - something I did every time around - I started running like I was shot out of a cannon. At least that's how it felt after averaging 11+ min/mile. I blew through that lap with my HR in solid Z5 most of the way which was probably dumb, but I had made my deal with myself and I wanted to start pushing. The 5th lap was all about revenge. I actually started talking to the path, reminding it that I said I was coming back. OK, I was mocking an inanimate object, I get that it's weird. I didn't care. As I got closer to the finish my pace continued to increase; the last mile was at a nearly 8:30 pace. My HR was starting to crack 190 and I didn't care, I was flooring it past people like they were standing still. As I got a couple hundred yards from the end I looked for Karen at the spot she had been hanging out and she was busy talking to other people. I guess I had come by a little earlier than she was expecting. I told her I was taking off. ;) She didn't even know I had finished until I walked up behind her a few minutes later. (To be fair, Karen was very attentive & encouraging on the other laps. I just bring this up because I thought it was hilarious and told her she wouldn't live this down anytime soon. Now it's immortalized on BT for eternity. :p)

I ended up finishing 1-2 minutes before the 50k winner, which didn't happen last year. All in all, I blew away my time from last year.

Last year: 03:19:45
This year: 2:56:25
Difference: -00:23:20

Official 5k lap times:
Lap 1 36:08.8 11:38/M
Lap 2 36:22.9 11:42/M
Lap 3 36:49.2 11:51/M
Lap 4 36:39.9 11:48/M
Lap 5 30:24.8 9:47/M

Not a thing.

Drank fluids, ate 3 oranges.


I can always get faster I guess, but at my current training level this is about as good as it will get.