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Clarendon Day 5k

Five months between blog posts yet again. I promised I'd update more frequently, but unfortunately I continue to be terrible with updates. Better late than never though right?

I ran the Clarendon Day 5k last weekend, my first time running this event and man was it fun! So much downhill, by far the fastest 5k course I've ever run. I trained for about six weeks for it with the help of a friend who has been coaching me a bit recently. I really want to break 20 minutes for a 5k, it's been a goal for a few years now but I never specifically focused on 5k workouts. There wasn't much time for it as I've been busy marathon training once a year for the past five years now. No marathon this fall has allowed for some changes in the running routine and it's been fun mixing it up.

My six week training block for this race had it up's and downs. I ran 6 days a week with 3 of the days very easy and 3 of the days harder workout runs and 1 day completely off each week. Over the course of the six weeks the weather was extremely hot and humid so I was really struggling to complete some of the workouts in required paces, it was hard to tell if my fitness was lacking or if the weather was dragging me down. Overall I could feel the gains though so I knew I was going to have a shot at breaking 20 if I had a good day. Unfortunately race morning rolled around and it ended up being another humid morning which I think really affected me and I missed my goal by 35 seconds (ran a 20:35) BUT it was still the fastest 5k I've run in five years so I was encouraged by the progress I made over those six weeks (over a full minute faster than a 5k in late July). My coach knew it was going to be 50/50 chance I'd break 20 based off how I was struggling in some workouts and it turned out to be accurate. I know what I need to do in the future and hope to give it another crack in a race in better conditions.

Up next the Prince William Half Marathon this weekend. Racing in back to back weekends is a bit crazy but I'm not treating this as an all out race effort. I've been signed up for this race for a while (long before I decided to really train hard for the 5k), I'd like to run a good time but I am going to approach it as a bit aggressive workout run instead of an all out race effort. Saving the true race effort for the Richmond Half Marathon in November where I hope to run a new personal best improving upon what I did in April in the Park to Park half in Waynesboro.

That's all for now. Will try to update more frequently but I said that last time and five months managed to fly by just like that...


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