You must be swift as the coursing river (as long as it's the Lazy River) - comments welcome
- Thread starter WillRunForPizza
- Start date
well done 
WillRunForPizza
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May 12 - 18, 2025
5K training week 8 | 12 days until Twilight 5000
In which it's not over yet
Monday
Easy/hill strides: 6.8 miles (9:39), avg. HR 156, max 186, 65% Z1-2
Core
Okay, so I wasn't very good at easy running on this one. It was warmer than I was expecting, and clearly I should have slowed down more, but I felt fine. Oops.
Tuesday
Workout: 3 x 3 min @ CV/2 min @ 3KP/1 min @ 1MP/3 min RI + 2.2 miles steady
9.5 miles, avg. HR 164, max 194
Lower body strength
Oof. Why am I so bad at running fast?
I felt okay on the first set. The second set was hard. By the time I got to the last interval in the third set, I was absolutely dying. At first I told myself, "I can do this if I push," and then almost immediately I went, "Wait, no, no going to the well in a race week workout! I need a full well for the race!" and then I skipped the last 50 seconds of the interval. I don't know if that was the right choice, but that's what happened.
Somehow, after the three minute recovery, I eased into the steady finisher and felt like I could do that forever, though I stopped once I got back to a place with actual traffic lights and stuff. So basically, my metaphorical engine works great at medium paces, but when I try to go faster, it's like setting the gas tank on fire and boom! all gone and my legs and lungs are all exploded.
It was not the cause of my problems, but I felt kind of bloated the whole time. Possibly this was due to running about an hour after lunch because I didn't want to die during potential thunderstorms in the morning (though I normally run about an hour after breakfast and have no issues, so
). Having my rain-drenched shirt cling to my belly did not help with the bloated feeling. However, I did learn that my race shoes have good traction on wet roads, which was positive for Saturday. (There was still a chance of a wet race at that point.) Plus, the rain meant there was hardly anyone on the trail, which is always nice - especially when you're trying to dodge puddles.
Also, something weird happened somewhere with my GPS, because it has me finishing the run about four miles from where I actually finished, and there's no elevation data except for the first couple of miles. I tried correcting both the distance and elevation on Strava and that somehow made it worse. So, not particularly confident in the data here. (I've run this way enough that I can say the overall distance should be about right, but the GAP isn't at all useful, and individual intervals may be off in places.)
Wednesday
Recovery: 7.1 miles (10:35), avg. HR 149, max 158, 100% Z1-2
Upper body strength
I did a wandering thing again. I found a LOT of hills.
And some unfortunately narrow sidewalks. I also learned one of the side effects of not planning your route, which is that it's hard to tell when you should turn around. This is how I ended up with 7 miles instead of 4-6. But I felt okay after the first mile.
Thursday
Core
After a harder-than-expected run on Tuesday and a longer-than-expected run on Wednesday, taking Thursday off seemed like the wisest choice. I did do my core workout, though, because core work just isn't going to do that much damage at this point. (It is possible I should have chosen a slightly easier workout. I didn't use weights, though!)
Friday
Shakeout: 3.2 miles (10:05), avg. HR 152, max 183, 79% Z1-2
Short runs do funny things to your stats.
Saturday
WU + 3.1 miles @ 5KP + CD
Race recap above. I wasn't thrilled with my performance, but it was a nice little race and cool to win.
Sunday
Easy/strides: 8.1 miles (9:26), avg. HR 153, max 175, 81% Z1-2
Yoga
Surprise! I haven't been running on Sundays, but I took Thursday off, and it occurred to me that I could just do that for the next two weeks since the Twilight 5000 is on a Saturday also.
I actually felt really good, and I ran basically the same pace on the same route as last weekend but managed to stay mostly, if not entirely, in Z2 this time. Later I thought about strength training, but I settled on a more active yoga routine instead.
Totals
Running: 6h 18m, 40.4 miles
Strength/mobility: 1h 45m
Total: 8h 3m
So I raced a 5K slower than predicted, and now Strava has made its 5K prediction...faster? I don't get it.
Coming up
The schedule is finished, but the racing is not! Less than two weeks until the Twilight 5000, and I'm just going to be making it up as I go. I'm thinking maybe threshold hills this week? We shall see.
5K training week 8 | 12 days until Twilight 5000
In which it's not over yet
Monday
Easy/hill strides: 6.8 miles (9:39), avg. HR 156, max 186, 65% Z1-2
Core
Okay, so I wasn't very good at easy running on this one. It was warmer than I was expecting, and clearly I should have slowed down more, but I felt fine. Oops.
Tuesday
Workout: 3 x 3 min @ CV/2 min @ 3KP/1 min @ 1MP/3 min RI + 2.2 miles steady
9.5 miles, avg. HR 164, max 194
Lower body strength
Oof. Why am I so bad at running fast?
I felt okay on the first set. The second set was hard. By the time I got to the last interval in the third set, I was absolutely dying. At first I told myself, "I can do this if I push," and then almost immediately I went, "Wait, no, no going to the well in a race week workout! I need a full well for the race!" and then I skipped the last 50 seconds of the interval. I don't know if that was the right choice, but that's what happened.
Somehow, after the three minute recovery, I eased into the steady finisher and felt like I could do that forever, though I stopped once I got back to a place with actual traffic lights and stuff. So basically, my metaphorical engine works great at medium paces, but when I try to go faster, it's like setting the gas tank on fire and boom! all gone and my legs and lungs are all exploded.
It was not the cause of my problems, but I felt kind of bloated the whole time. Possibly this was due to running about an hour after lunch because I didn't want to die during potential thunderstorms in the morning (though I normally run about an hour after breakfast and have no issues, so
). Having my rain-drenched shirt cling to my belly did not help with the bloated feeling. However, I did learn that my race shoes have good traction on wet roads, which was positive for Saturday. (There was still a chance of a wet race at that point.) Plus, the rain meant there was hardly anyone on the trail, which is always nice - especially when you're trying to dodge puddles.Also, something weird happened somewhere with my GPS, because it has me finishing the run about four miles from where I actually finished, and there's no elevation data except for the first couple of miles. I tried correcting both the distance and elevation on Strava and that somehow made it worse. So, not particularly confident in the data here. (I've run this way enough that I can say the overall distance should be about right, but the GAP isn't at all useful, and individual intervals may be off in places.)
Wednesday
Recovery: 7.1 miles (10:35), avg. HR 149, max 158, 100% Z1-2
Upper body strength
I did a wandering thing again. I found a LOT of hills.
And some unfortunately narrow sidewalks. I also learned one of the side effects of not planning your route, which is that it's hard to tell when you should turn around. This is how I ended up with 7 miles instead of 4-6. But I felt okay after the first mile.Thursday
Core
After a harder-than-expected run on Tuesday and a longer-than-expected run on Wednesday, taking Thursday off seemed like the wisest choice. I did do my core workout, though, because core work just isn't going to do that much damage at this point. (It is possible I should have chosen a slightly easier workout. I didn't use weights, though!)
Friday
Shakeout: 3.2 miles (10:05), avg. HR 152, max 183, 79% Z1-2
Short runs do funny things to your stats.
Saturday
WU + 3.1 miles @ 5KP + CD
Race recap above. I wasn't thrilled with my performance, but it was a nice little race and cool to win.
Sunday
Easy/strides: 8.1 miles (9:26), avg. HR 153, max 175, 81% Z1-2
Yoga
Surprise! I haven't been running on Sundays, but I took Thursday off, and it occurred to me that I could just do that for the next two weeks since the Twilight 5000 is on a Saturday also.
I actually felt really good, and I ran basically the same pace on the same route as last weekend but managed to stay mostly, if not entirely, in Z2 this time. Later I thought about strength training, but I settled on a more active yoga routine instead.
Totals
Running: 6h 18m, 40.4 miles
Strength/mobility: 1h 45m
Total: 8h 3m
So I raced a 5K slower than predicted, and now Strava has made its 5K prediction...faster? I don't get it.
Coming up
The schedule is finished, but the racing is not! Less than two weeks until the Twilight 5000, and I'm just going to be making it up as I go. I'm thinking maybe threshold hills this week? We shall see.
avondale
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- Oct 24, 2017
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What a fantastic race! Congratulations! Super cool to get a win!
This happens to me for most of my marathons....sigh.
I have similar issues. I can run pretty soon after breakfast (and I eat a substantial breakfast) and it's not an issue, but I really have to wait at least 2 hours after any other meal. For me, I think the all-night without food just empties out the system enough that breakfast gets digested more quickly.
WillRunForPizza
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- Apr 20, 2022
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May 19 - 25, 2025
5K training week 9 | 5 days until Tracksmith Twilight 5000
In which I realize I have never run a track race before
Monday
Easy/hill strides: 6.2 miles (9:57), avg. HR 150, max 182, 85% Z1-2
Core
I had a $15 reward at Fleet Feet that was about to expire, so I decided to run at lunchtime and swing by the local store on the way back. It was quite warm, and I wished I had brought some water, but I did get a free pair of socks.
Tuesday
Workout: threshold hills + hill strides
12.2 miles, avg. HR 160, max 183
Lower body strength
Threshold hills is always interesting. It went okay. I did the first float too fast, but then settled in, and overall I was slightly faster and more consistent than I was a few weeks ago. My legs always feel fully trashed by the end of this workout, but that's kind of the point of threshold hills.
My half mile with no traffic lights is commonly known as Embassy Row, which can make for some interesting hazards. This morning the South African embassy was having some kind of event, so I kept having to dodge cars coming in and out of their gates.
Also, fun fact: the end of the threshold hill is across the street from the Norwegian embassy, which seems appropriate. 
I did only do four hill repeats instead of six. I was tired.
After I walked the dog, my ankle was a bit sore, so I iced it and took some ibuprofen. Let's get it together, limbs.
Wednesday
Recovery: 6.2 miles (10:30), avg. HR 143, max 157, 100% Z1-2
Upper body strength
My muscles actually felt okay, but my ankle ached on and off in the second half. More ibuprofen.
Thursday
off
I had a very lazy sort of day.
Friday
Easy/steady + strides: 7.4 miles (8:55), avg. HR 155, max 188
Core
The weather was nice but a little breezy (like enough to make a noticeable difference in pace). After a while I decided to pick it up a bit for a couple of miles and ended up at kind of a steady pace. Turns out doing strides after that is significantly more difficult.
My ankle didn't bother me during the run but did ache a bit afterwards.
I kind of forgot about the core workout until late afternoon, so I just did a short one because I had dinner plans.
Saturday
Long: 12.5 miles (9:27), avg. HR 152, max 170
Total body strength
Was it the wisest choice to do a two-hour long run a week out from a 5K? Probably not, but it was nice out and I really wanted to run up Beach Dr.
I felt mostly pretty good. Kind of wished I'd brought more water (read: Skratch), but oh well.
Sunday
Easy: 5.3 miles (10:19), avg. HR 137, max 154, 100% Z1-2
Just keeping things extra relaxed and feeling super comfortable. I was going to do a core workout also, but I was headed up to Baltimore for the afternoon and ran out of time.
Totals
Running: 8h 57m, 50 miles
Strength/mobility: 1h 48m
Total: 9h 46m
That time when I accidentally ran 50 miles the week before a race...
It honestly didn't feel like that much, though. I think just because half of it was evenly divided between two days, and the rest was pretty normal. I think it's fine. It's probably fine. Right?
Coming up
Another week of winging it leading into the Twilight 5000. I think I'm just going to do a 4x4x1 for my workout tomorrow. Keeping it simple. Then a recovery run on Wednesday, plus a gait analysis which should be interesting! Will report back on that one afterwards. Thursday off, shakeout Friday (afternoon?), race Saturday evening.
Yes, evening. Last week it dawned on me that not only have I never raced on a track before, I've never raced that late before. (We had some after-school races in cross-country, but I was in high school and didn't know anything about anything, and also I'm pretty sure they did not start after 7 p.m.) I don't know how to eat! I guess just have a light meal early? I also have no idea how my body will react to running in the evening - I've run after work occasionally in the past, but usually at like 5:30, not 7:15 when my heat is scheduled.
When I signed up, I put an ambitious 19:59 as my goal time. Sadly that no longer seems like even a remote possibility, so I asked to switch from the 19:20-20:20 heat to the 20:30-21:30 heat. (I guess no one was trying to run 20:21-20:29?) My current plan to try to stick with the 21:00 pacer for the first mile or two and then try to speed up from there and sneak in under 21 minutes. But we'll see how things fall out.
5K training week 9 | 5 days until Tracksmith Twilight 5000
In which I realize I have never run a track race before
Monday
Easy/hill strides: 6.2 miles (9:57), avg. HR 150, max 182, 85% Z1-2
Core
I had a $15 reward at Fleet Feet that was about to expire, so I decided to run at lunchtime and swing by the local store on the way back. It was quite warm, and I wished I had brought some water, but I did get a free pair of socks.
Tuesday
Workout: threshold hills + hill strides
12.2 miles, avg. HR 160, max 183
Lower body strength
Threshold hills is always interesting. It went okay. I did the first float too fast, but then settled in, and overall I was slightly faster and more consistent than I was a few weeks ago. My legs always feel fully trashed by the end of this workout, but that's kind of the point of threshold hills.
My half mile with no traffic lights is commonly known as Embassy Row, which can make for some interesting hazards. This morning the South African embassy was having some kind of event, so I kept having to dodge cars coming in and out of their gates.
Also, fun fact: the end of the threshold hill is across the street from the Norwegian embassy, which seems appropriate. I did only do four hill repeats instead of six. I was tired.
After I walked the dog, my ankle was a bit sore, so I iced it and took some ibuprofen. Let's get it together, limbs.
Wednesday
Recovery: 6.2 miles (10:30), avg. HR 143, max 157, 100% Z1-2
Upper body strength
My muscles actually felt okay, but my ankle ached on and off in the second half. More ibuprofen.
Thursday
off
I had a very lazy sort of day.
Friday
Easy/steady + strides: 7.4 miles (8:55), avg. HR 155, max 188
Core
The weather was nice but a little breezy (like enough to make a noticeable difference in pace). After a while I decided to pick it up a bit for a couple of miles and ended up at kind of a steady pace. Turns out doing strides after that is significantly more difficult.
My ankle didn't bother me during the run but did ache a bit afterwards.I kind of forgot about the core workout until late afternoon, so I just did a short one because I had dinner plans.
Saturday
Long: 12.5 miles (9:27), avg. HR 152, max 170
Total body strength
Was it the wisest choice to do a two-hour long run a week out from a 5K? Probably not, but it was nice out and I really wanted to run up Beach Dr.
I felt mostly pretty good. Kind of wished I'd brought more water (read: Skratch), but oh well.
Sunday
Easy: 5.3 miles (10:19), avg. HR 137, max 154, 100% Z1-2
Just keeping things extra relaxed and feeling super comfortable. I was going to do a core workout also, but I was headed up to Baltimore for the afternoon and ran out of time.
Totals
Running: 8h 57m, 50 miles
Strength/mobility: 1h 48m
Total: 9h 46m
That time when I accidentally ran 50 miles the week before a race...
It honestly didn't feel like that much, though. I think just because half of it was evenly divided between two days, and the rest was pretty normal. I think it's fine. It's probably fine. Right?
Coming up
Another week of winging it leading into the Twilight 5000. I think I'm just going to do a 4x4x1 for my workout tomorrow. Keeping it simple. Then a recovery run on Wednesday, plus a gait analysis which should be interesting! Will report back on that one afterwards. Thursday off, shakeout Friday (afternoon?), race Saturday evening.
Yes, evening. Last week it dawned on me that not only have I never raced on a track before, I've never raced that late before. (We had some after-school races in cross-country, but I was in high school and didn't know anything about anything, and also I'm pretty sure they did not start after 7 p.m.) I don't know how to eat! I guess just have a light meal early? I also have no idea how my body will react to running in the evening - I've run after work occasionally in the past, but usually at like 5:30, not 7:15 when my heat is scheduled.
When I signed up, I put an ambitious 19:59 as my goal time. Sadly that no longer seems like even a remote possibility, so I asked to switch from the 19:20-20:20 heat to the 20:30-21:30 heat. (I guess no one was trying to run 20:21-20:29?) My current plan to try to stick with the 21:00 pacer for the first mile or two and then try to speed up from there and sneak in under 21 minutes. But we'll see how things fall out.
avondale
DIS Veteran
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There are heats? So then if you do well in your heat, do you run again? Seems unlikely for events as long as 5k, but what do I know? Sounds interesting! Good luck!
WillRunForPizza
DIS Veteran
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- Apr 20, 2022
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Nah, they call them heats, but they're really more like sections so that several hundred people can run on one track. Just one 5K for everyone!
WillRunForPizza
DIS Veteran
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Race recap: Tracksmith Twilight 5000
May 31, 2025 | Washington, DC
In which there are no thoughts, only running
(I will add more photos when Tracksmith shares them; I just wanted to write things down before I forgot.)
When I signed up for this race, I was mainly thinking that it would be interesting to do a track race for the first time. For weather reasons, I was also happy that it was at the end of May instead of the end of July like it was last year. In fact, despite some intense afternoon showers, the weather was pretty ideal by evening - mid-60s, low humidity, with the only drawback being the wind (which we will definitely get to). Weather, check; track, check.
The evening bit did kind of break my brain, though. It was really weird to wake up on race morning and just have...a normal morning. Not bad - I like normal mornings - but weird. I had a normal breakfast and a normal lunch, but dinner (which I normally eat around 5:30-6) was obviously not going to be normal. I ended up just having "breakfast" again (because I run after breakfast most days so I know my stomach is fine with it) around 4:30. Then I got ready and headed over to CUA for the race.
I had never been to the CUA track before (because why would I), and it turned out the easiest way to get there was...biking. Again. At least the route was pretty flat this time. The trip took longer than I thought, but I still arrived around 6:15, an hour before my race. I waited in a short line to pick up my bib and then headed for the stands to get myself organized.
The view from the stands. It's not a big stadium; CUA is not exactly a sports powerhouse.
At that point, the first heat (or section, if you prefer) was underway - 25:00-38:00. I watched a bit of that and enjoyed the enthusiastic cheers of the runners' spectating friends and family before heading out on my warmup. Straight. Uphill.
Like I said, I had never been here before, so I asked one of the guys at the check-in table where a good place to warm up was. He suggested going out to the streets around the stadium, so I did that. Definitely picked the wrong side, though, because it was a very hilly warm-up. By which I mean it was basically one giant hill. I did a few strides in a parking lot and then headed back to the stadium.
You would think that, being in an actual stadium, there would be actual bathrooms. Alas, you would be wrong. Just port-a-potties.
It's really not much of a stadium.
So after hitting up the portas (grumble), I changed my shoes and took myself down to the track. I did a couple more strides on the field and then crossed to the other side for the start of the coming 12.5 laps.
I was in the 20:30-21:30 heat, where there were supposed to be three pacers for 20:30, 21:00, and 21:30. Emphasis on the "supposed to be" because only one of them actually showed up. Fortunately, it was the one I wanted to follow (21:00)! His name was Scott. Thanks for not flaking, Scott!
According to the heat sheet, there were supposed to be ~30 people in the group, but it seemed like fewer, so maybe some of the participants also didn't show up. I was worried about the start line being really crowded - normally it seems like distance races are best with about 15 runners max - but it was actually okay. We just lined up in a couple of rows and as far as I could tell, nobody stepped on anybody else. The race director had a starting gun and everything, so as soon as it went off, I hit my watch to get started!
Or tried to, anyway. Turns out Apple Watch has a track mode. Track mode is good! I am all for track mode. Less good was the surprise of having to select which lane I was using and how I wanted it to report distance. By the time I got through all those screens, we were already 100+ meters in, and between my watch issues and the general starting chaos, I ended up near the back of the pack. Oops!
However, the pack had already started to spread out a bit, so it wasn't too hard to make my way back up towards Scott the pacer. I caught up to him and his little pack of six or so within a lap or two and settled in there. I quickly realized the wind was going to make things interesting - there was a significant headwind on the back stretch, which was, bonus, also into the sun. On the bright side (or shady side, in this particular instance), that meant we had a tailwind in the home stretch. So the race just felt like headwind...tailwind...headwind...tailwind...over and over.
Going into the race, I wasn't sure how I would feel about running 12.5 laps around a track. Would I get bored? Would it be really annoying? Honestly, it was pretty great! I didn't have to think about where I was going, and thanks to Scott, I didn't have to think about how fast I was running, either. I checked in with my watch occasionally to make sure the pace was okay and my HR wasn't blowing up, and otherwise I just turned my brain off. I sort of registered the commentary from the announcer and the music blasting from the speakers, but other than that the only thing I was thinking about was not bumping the people around me. It was very zen. I mean, it was really hard, but otherwise, zen.
Between my brain being off and my watch being off (from the track selection delay), I didn't really know exactly where we were in the race. I was just going headwind...tailwind...headwind...tailwind. I certainly wasn't counting - I sometimes lose count after two strides and have to wait until I get home to see whether I ended up with four or five in the end. So I was blindly relying on Scott to keep me on track (no pun initially intended, but I did notice it and choose to leave it in, so...). I trusted Scott. Scott was keeping us on pace (and looking ridiculously comfortable doing it - he must be really fast).
Scott started telling us how many laps we had left coming into the home stretch (tailwind...) into three to go.
"Phew!" I thought. "This is getting really hard."
There were only a few of us left in the 21:00 pack. My breathing was very audible. I was somewhat uncertain about whether I could actually make it through three more laps at this pace. But I kept trying to keep up with Scott.
Just after he said "two," the announcer celebrated the race winner coming in.
"That's weird," I thought. "I don't remember anybody lapping us."
I glanced at the clock as we came down the home stretch, and I saw 20:46.
"That's also weird," I thought. "We've been right around 6:45 pace (21 flat) this whole time, and after another lap it will be way over 21 minutes."
I then forgot all of those thoughts and gathered myself for the final lap.
I was pushing as hard as I could. Scott was being encouraging. In the back stretch (headwind...), I looked down at my watch and actually saw the distance, which was...3.15. "Hang on..." I thought, "I started my watch late. So if it says I've run more than 3.1 miles...then..." I looked over at Scott. "Wait," I gasped (still running at race pace here). "Did we (gasp) run (gasp) an extra lap?" Scott, comfortingly, went, "Uhhh...maybe?"
Yep. We did.
I finally got to stop halfway around the final-plus turn. (No one else had gone with us on the "last" lap; I guess the rest of our little pack had been more aware than I was.) Apparently Scott's watch was also having issues, so he was just thinking about being done at 21 minutes (and remember, this pace was pretty easy for him). And that's how I accidentally turned a 5000-meter race into about a 5250m one.
Honestly, I wasn't even mad about it. If I hadn't done that extra 2/3 of a lap, the race would have come up as like 2.9 miles on my watch, and that would have been really annoying. I only wish I had been able to kick at the end, but how much of a kick I would have had is debatable. (I think I should still get credit for at least a few extra seconds, though.
)
When I checked the results, it turned out I had finished the actual 5000 in 20:49. So hey, I still managed to get under 21:00! Not bad considering I didn't know I was finishing.
Okay, Strava. I ran on a track. You can see that I ran on a track. How is it possible that (a) there are elevation changes, and (b) the elevation changes are different mile by mile??
After changing back to my Noosa Tris, I jogged around on the field for a bit as my cool-down (really no worse than the "warm-up area" in the Epcot parking lot). Biking home was much quicker than biking to the stadium (mostly slightly downhill vs. mostly slightly uphill). By the time I walked the dog, ate dinner (which I hadn't been sure I would want but I was starving), and showered, it was after 10:30. The words kept blurring as I was reading in bed. It didn't take long for me to just pass out.
So that was my track adventure for the year. I learned some important things, like that if I'm running on a track, I need to start my watch earlier, and that I should really pay some attention to where I am in the race, especially if I'm running in circles.
But cheers to Scott, who may have also had trouble with counting but did an excellent job pacing. I would consider doing this race again - I actually liked running on the track much more than I expected to. If there's a Twilight 5000 in your area, it could be worth checking out.
May 31, 2025 | Washington, DC
In which there are no thoughts, only running
(I will add more photos when Tracksmith shares them; I just wanted to write things down before I forgot.)
When I signed up for this race, I was mainly thinking that it would be interesting to do a track race for the first time. For weather reasons, I was also happy that it was at the end of May instead of the end of July like it was last year. In fact, despite some intense afternoon showers, the weather was pretty ideal by evening - mid-60s, low humidity, with the only drawback being the wind (which we will definitely get to). Weather, check; track, check.
The evening bit did kind of break my brain, though. It was really weird to wake up on race morning and just have...a normal morning. Not bad - I like normal mornings - but weird. I had a normal breakfast and a normal lunch, but dinner (which I normally eat around 5:30-6) was obviously not going to be normal. I ended up just having "breakfast" again (because I run after breakfast most days so I know my stomach is fine with it) around 4:30. Then I got ready and headed over to CUA for the race.
I had never been to the CUA track before (because why would I), and it turned out the easiest way to get there was...biking. Again. At least the route was pretty flat this time. The trip took longer than I thought, but I still arrived around 6:15, an hour before my race. I waited in a short line to pick up my bib and then headed for the stands to get myself organized.
The view from the stands. It's not a big stadium; CUA is not exactly a sports powerhouse.
At that point, the first heat (or section, if you prefer) was underway - 25:00-38:00. I watched a bit of that and enjoyed the enthusiastic cheers of the runners' spectating friends and family before heading out on my warmup. Straight. Uphill.
Like I said, I had never been here before, so I asked one of the guys at the check-in table where a good place to warm up was. He suggested going out to the streets around the stadium, so I did that. Definitely picked the wrong side, though, because it was a very hilly warm-up. By which I mean it was basically one giant hill.
I did a few strides in a parking lot and then headed back to the stadium.You would think that, being in an actual stadium, there would be actual bathrooms. Alas, you would be wrong. Just port-a-potties.
It's really not much of a stadium.So after hitting up the portas (grumble), I changed my shoes and took myself down to the track. I did a couple more strides on the field and then crossed to the other side for the start of the coming 12.5 laps.
I was in the 20:30-21:30 heat, where there were supposed to be three pacers for 20:30, 21:00, and 21:30. Emphasis on the "supposed to be" because only one of them actually showed up.
Fortunately, it was the one I wanted to follow (21:00)! His name was Scott. Thanks for not flaking, Scott!According to the heat sheet, there were supposed to be ~30 people in the group, but it seemed like fewer, so maybe some of the participants also didn't show up.
I was worried about the start line being really crowded - normally it seems like distance races are best with about 15 runners max - but it was actually okay. We just lined up in a couple of rows and as far as I could tell, nobody stepped on anybody else. The race director had a starting gun and everything, so as soon as it went off, I hit my watch to get started!Or tried to, anyway. Turns out Apple Watch has a track mode. Track mode is good! I am all for track mode. Less good was the surprise of having to select which lane I was using and how I wanted it to report distance. By the time I got through all those screens, we were already 100+ meters in, and between my watch issues and the general starting chaos, I ended up near the back of the pack. Oops!
However, the pack had already started to spread out a bit, so it wasn't too hard to make my way back up towards Scott the pacer. I caught up to him and his little pack of six or so within a lap or two and settled in there. I quickly realized the wind was going to make things interesting - there was a significant headwind on the back stretch, which was, bonus, also into the sun. On the bright side (or shady side, in this particular instance), that meant we had a tailwind in the home stretch. So the race just felt like headwind...tailwind...headwind...tailwind...over and over.
Going into the race, I wasn't sure how I would feel about running 12.5 laps around a track. Would I get bored? Would it be really annoying? Honestly, it was pretty great! I didn't have to think about where I was going, and thanks to Scott, I didn't have to think about how fast I was running, either. I checked in with my watch occasionally to make sure the pace was okay and my HR wasn't blowing up, and otherwise I just turned my brain off. I sort of registered the commentary from the announcer and the music blasting from the speakers, but other than that the only thing I was thinking about was not bumping the people around me. It was very zen. I mean, it was really hard, but otherwise, zen.
Between my brain being off and my watch being off (from the track selection delay), I didn't really know exactly where we were in the race. I was just going headwind...tailwind...headwind...tailwind. I certainly wasn't counting - I sometimes lose count after two strides and have to wait until I get home to see whether I ended up with four or five in the end. So I was blindly relying on Scott to keep me on track (no pun initially intended, but I did notice it and choose to leave it in, so...
). I trusted Scott. Scott was keeping us on pace (and looking ridiculously comfortable doing it - he must be really fast).Scott started telling us how many laps we had left coming into the home stretch (tailwind...) into three to go.
"Phew!" I thought. "This is getting really hard."
There were only a few of us left in the 21:00 pack. My breathing was very audible. I was somewhat uncertain about whether I could actually make it through three more laps at this pace. But I kept trying to keep up with Scott.
Just after he said "two," the announcer celebrated the race winner coming in.
"That's weird," I thought. "I don't remember anybody lapping us."
I glanced at the clock as we came down the home stretch, and I saw 20:46.
"That's also weird," I thought. "We've been right around 6:45 pace (21 flat) this whole time, and after another lap it will be way over 21 minutes."
I then forgot all of those thoughts and gathered myself for the final lap.
I was pushing as hard as I could. Scott was being encouraging. In the back stretch (headwind...), I looked down at my watch and actually saw the distance, which was...3.15. "Hang on..." I thought, "I started my watch late. So if it says I've run more than 3.1 miles...then..." I looked over at Scott. "Wait," I gasped (still running at race pace here). "Did we (gasp) run (gasp) an extra lap?" Scott, comfortingly, went, "Uhhh...maybe?"
Yep. We did.
I finally got to stop halfway around the final-plus turn. (No one else had gone with us on the "last" lap; I guess the rest of our little pack had been more aware than I was.
) Apparently Scott's watch was also having issues, so he was just thinking about being done at 21 minutes (and remember, this pace was pretty easy for him). And that's how I accidentally turned a 5000-meter race into about a 5250m one. Honestly, I wasn't even mad about it. If I hadn't done that extra 2/3 of a lap, the race would have come up as like 2.9 miles on my watch, and that would have been really annoying. I only wish I had been able to kick at the end, but how much of a kick I would have had is debatable. (I think I should still get credit for at least a few extra seconds, though.
)When I checked the results, it turned out I had finished the actual 5000 in 20:49. So hey, I still managed to get under 21:00! Not bad considering I didn't know I was finishing.
Okay, Strava. I ran on a track. You can see that I ran on a track. How is it possible that (a) there are elevation changes, and (b) the elevation changes are different mile by mile??
After changing back to my Noosa Tris, I jogged around on the field for a bit as my cool-down (really no worse than the "warm-up area" in the Epcot parking lot). Biking home was much quicker than biking to the stadium (mostly slightly downhill vs. mostly slightly uphill). By the time I walked the dog, ate dinner (which I hadn't been sure I would want but I was starving), and showered, it was after 10:30. The words kept blurring as I was reading in bed. It didn't take long for me to just pass out.
So that was my track adventure for the year. I learned some important things, like that if I'm running on a track, I need to start my watch earlier, and that I should really pay some attention to where I am in the race, especially if I'm running in circles.
But cheers to Scott, who may have also had trouble with counting but did an excellent job pacing. I would consider doing this race again - I actually liked running on the track much more than I expected to. If there's a Twilight 5000 in your area, it could be worth checking out.
avondale
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2017
- Messages
- 2,006
Congratulations on the 5k track race! Excellent time! Great recap, too!
I got some chuckles out of it... I have run on my local HS track off and on for a number of years, mostly for when my DopeyBadger plans had fast, short intervals. I know the track will be FLAT if that's what I need, and sometimes I used the 100m markings and then looked at my times for that distance. Anyway. I don't really care for it because it can be really boring, even with music. And people come to walk their dogs, kids, etc., on the track and just wander all over without looking. Plus...goose poop.
I totally get the headwind...tailwind...headwind...etc. So true on a windy day. And somehow you always feel the headwind way more than the tailwind.
Also, my Garmin GPS will register elevation changes... often it just alternates between 7 feet ascent and 7 feet descent, which I assume is really a measure of the GPS's precision at measuring zero. But sometimes it does drift to something more (or less), which really doesn't make sense.
So hilarious that you almost ran another lap! I'm glad you took it in stride, so to speak. Maybe you didn't get to kick at the end, but it also means you didn't think "almost there" and fade, either.
Sounds like you should do it again!
I got some chuckles out of it... I have run on my local HS track off and on for a number of years, mostly for when my DopeyBadger plans had fast, short intervals. I know the track will be FLAT if that's what I need, and sometimes I used the 100m markings and then looked at my times for that distance. Anyway. I don't really care for it because it can be really boring, even with music. And people come to walk their dogs, kids, etc., on the track and just wander all over without looking. Plus...goose poop.
I totally get the headwind...tailwind...headwind...etc. So true on a windy day. And somehow you always feel the headwind way more than the tailwind.
Also, my Garmin GPS will register elevation changes... often it just alternates between 7 feet ascent and 7 feet descent, which I assume is really a measure of the GPS's precision at measuring zero. But sometimes it does drift to something more (or less), which really doesn't make sense.
So hilarious that you almost ran another lap! I'm glad you took it in stride, so to speak. Maybe you didn't get to kick at the end, but it also means you didn't think "almost there" and fade, either.
Sounds like you should do it again!
WillRunForPizza
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2022
- Messages
- 1,503
This was basically my experience the one time I tried to do a workout on a track (except instead of goose poop, there was random trash). But I actually really liked it for a race!
Yeah, it was really okay. And I was prepared to finish the lap at that pace or faster, so it did show me that I could have run faster if I really wanted to!
WillRunForPizza
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2022
- Messages
- 1,503
May 26 - June 1, 2025
5K training week 10 | -2 days until Twilight 5000
In which a chapter ends
Monday
Easy/hill strides: 6.5 miles (9:41), avg. HR 146, max 182, 92% Z1-2
Upper body strength
Holiday mornings are nice because everything is supremely uncrowded. (I did avoid the Mall because Memorial Day.) The weather was good for running, and I felt pretty good too. No complaints.
I was planning to get some things done in the afternoon, but apparently I was quite tired, because instead I took a really long nap on the couch. (How tired was I? My dog decided he needed two-thirds of the couch, so I was laying in an awkward position on the remaining third with my legs propped up on the backrest. I woke up after maybe 30 or 45 minutes and my neck was quite sore from said awkward position. So I wiggled it around a bit, turned my head in the other direction, and went right back to sleep.)
Tuesday
Workout: 4 x 4 x 1 + steady finisher
9.3 miles, avg. HR 159, max 190
Lower body strength
I always go into this workout thinking, "Sixteen 60-second reps, that's not so bad."
Then I do the first like two reps and go, "This is so hard." 
For which I have only myself to blame; it would be easier if I just ran slower.
I didn't have a particular pace in mind; I just wanted to be fast but controlled. I think the first set was mostly just fast. I tried to dial it back a bit for the second and third sets, which I think went okay. Then the last set, I was pretty much just sending it. Rolled straight into a steady finisher (with a long wait at a light in the middle).
I kept things a little lighter (i.e. fewer exercises) on the strength side with some lower body Pilates followed by a handful of basic strength exercises.
Wednesday
Easy: 1.8 + 2.3 miles
Core
I ran to and from the PT's office for my gait analysis/evaluation. It was rainy, but the PT was good. I went through all of my issues, lol, and I got some useful takeaways.
All nonsense.
Thursday
off
Just trying not to do anything too crazy.
Friday
Easy/hill strides: 4 miles (9:54), avg. HR 152, max 183, 82% Z1-2
Is the run the day before your race still a shakeout if your race is in the evening?
Either way, it went fine. It was pretty warm by the time I went out, but I actually felt okay. (Probably it helped that the humidity wasn't too high.) My HR did stay pretty elevated after the hill strides, though.
Saturday
WU + 5.25K @ 5KP + CD
Recap above.
Sunday
off
I was tired - I think less because of the race and more because it was so late. I treated myself to an almond croissant from my favorite little French bakery and did zero exercise.
Totals
Running: 4h 30m, 29.7 miles
Strength/mobility: 48m
Total: 5h 19m
Overall a pretty light week to close out my 5K training block.
Coming up
Nothing.
I mean, not literally nothing, but no concrete plans until at least July when I officially start my marathon block. This week at least I'll be taking things pretty easy for a bit of a mental break before I get back to training.
5K training week 10 | -2 days until Twilight 5000
In which a chapter ends
Monday
Easy/hill strides: 6.5 miles (9:41), avg. HR 146, max 182, 92% Z1-2
Upper body strength
Holiday mornings are nice because everything is supremely uncrowded. (I did avoid the Mall because Memorial Day.) The weather was good for running, and I felt pretty good too. No complaints.
I was planning to get some things done in the afternoon, but apparently I was quite tired, because instead I took a really long nap on the couch. (How tired was I? My dog decided he needed two-thirds of the couch, so I was laying in an awkward position on the remaining third with my legs propped up on the backrest. I woke up after maybe 30 or 45 minutes and my neck was quite sore from said awkward position. So I wiggled it around a bit, turned my head in the other direction, and went right back to sleep.
)Tuesday
Workout: 4 x 4 x 1 + steady finisher
9.3 miles, avg. HR 159, max 190
Lower body strength
I always go into this workout thinking, "Sixteen 60-second reps, that's not so bad."
Then I do the first like two reps and go, "This is so hard." For which I have only myself to blame; it would be easier if I just ran slower.I didn't have a particular pace in mind; I just wanted to be fast but controlled. I think the first set was mostly just fast.
I tried to dial it back a bit for the second and third sets, which I think went okay. Then the last set, I was pretty much just sending it. Rolled straight into a steady finisher (with a long wait at a light in the middle).I kept things a little lighter (i.e. fewer exercises) on the strength side with some lower body Pilates followed by a handful of basic strength exercises.
Wednesday
Easy: 1.8 + 2.3 miles
Core
I ran to and from the PT's office for my gait analysis/evaluation. It was rainy, but the PT was good. I went through all of my issues, lol, and I got some useful takeaways.
- My ongoing ankle issues are probably from peroneal tendonitis. She was explaining where the tendon is located, and I was like, "Ohhh, that makes so much sense" because I've had soreness all along that line (see the image). And I was thinking it felt like a tendon issue. (Don't ask how I could tell; I have no idea.) Because it is a tendon issue, it does need to be loaded, but not overloaded because that aggravates it. Tricky.
- Apparently I have limited torso rotation. I was not aware of this problem. I don't think this is necessarily a big deal, but it is interesting and something to work on.
- I need to keep strengthening my left hip, as it's still a bit lacking in stability. I have some new exercises for this.
- The gait analysis was actually a very small portion of the session. I hopped on their treadmill and the PT took a video from the side and from behind. (Treadmills are weird. They feel so unnatural. The ground does not move while I'm running. I had the nagging feeling that the treadmill was trying to eat me.) But apparently my form is pretty good - my hip drops a little bit, but not egregiously, and everything else seems okay.
All nonsense.
Thursday
off
Just trying not to do anything too crazy.
Friday
Easy/hill strides: 4 miles (9:54), avg. HR 152, max 183, 82% Z1-2
Is the run the day before your race still a shakeout if your race is in the evening?
Either way, it went fine. It was pretty warm by the time I went out, but I actually felt okay. (Probably it helped that the humidity wasn't too high.) My HR did stay pretty elevated after the hill strides, though.
Saturday
WU + 5.25K @ 5KP
+ CDRecap above.
Sunday
off
I was tired - I think less because of the race and more because it was so late. I treated myself to an almond croissant from my favorite little French bakery and did zero exercise.
Totals
Running: 4h 30m, 29.7 miles
Strength/mobility: 48m
Total: 5h 19m
Overall a pretty light week to close out my 5K training block.
Coming up
Nothing.
I mean, not literally nothing, but no concrete plans until at least July when I officially start my marathon block. This week at least I'll be taking things pretty easy for a bit of a mental break before I get back to training.
Last edited:
SimbaMufasa321
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2021
- Messages
- 39
I also think I am dealing with this! Mine hurts when I start but eases up when I get going but I absolutely notice it the next day. I've had it flare on and off for the last few months but think its time I start doing some more targeted exercises. (I've been doing tons of calf raises but that hasn't seem to have helped)
WillRunForPizza
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2022
- Messages
- 1,503
If you can swing it, I had good luck with a few SoftWave sessions for an Achilles issue a couple years ago - presumably it would work for the peroneal tendon as well. The PT talked about dry needling too.
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