Race: Ajax 5k Tune Up #2
Date: July 28, 2016
Time: 18:26 (over 4.93 km)
In my better races, “It” is on. When I am flying, I have It firmly in my grasp. It propels me and makes my feet light. When I have It, my legs never go heavy with lactic. In fact my legs just want nothing more than to go faster. And faster still.
I have been looking for the word that describes It and the search continues. It is a feeling of precocious capability, when the gift inside me comes out to play. It is desire. A competitive fire. A reckless abandon. It is running a 10k PR in the middle of a PR half. It is an instinct to hunt, to chase down and capture the prey running ahead, and then the next and the next after that. It is never full, It is always hungry for more. It is never tired. It is starting your finish kick 3k from the finish. It is being a passenger on strange legs that can’t and won’t slow down. It is a riot. It is calm with a steely focus. It has balls of steel.
I know how I can get It. Train hard and deliberately, then arrive to the race rested with perfect mental condition. Not too nervous, not too caring about the result, just out for the ride whatever that may be. Definitely there is a deep seeded feeling that something fast is about to happen.
The free series of tune up 5k races, leading to the Run Ajax Half, is my chance to find It again. In the first 5k in June, I thought It was beginning to awaken after a long hibernation. I had not raced in a while and started off “slow” with a 3:45 split, with splits improving toward the final split of 3:30. A decent and comfortable pace, but really more tempo workout than race.
So on to the second race in the series. The goal this time was to break 18:00 or better and I hit my first split spot on in 3:35. But the fire was out. I tried to match pace with the eventual female winner, then let her and another slowly slip ahead. It never lets that happen! Heavy legs accompanied my second split of 3:45. By the turn back I knew It was gone. Footsteps behind, a sure signal for It to make a move. Yet two more slipped by without a contest. The third and fourth splits faded to 3:50.
I pulled off a 3:40 going up one of the bigger hills for my last split. I sensed It briefly. I drew upon a reserve I had been keeping just for that moment and pulled ahead of two who could not match the effort. The top of the hill revealed the lead female. There was still time and distance left to run her down but I could not be bothered. It had left again.
I have had faster tempo training runs (by the dozen). I know It will return, but not until I am truly worthy. Back to the track, time to up the mileage. Soon It will inhabit my legs again.
