Run Like Hell 5k race recap

Here's the thing: 5ks are HARD. They HURT.
I know this because I've done approximately one million of them in my life. Give or take.

So when I line up for a 5k, I do so with a healthy amount of trepidation. I know that suffering is imminent. And if I'm running it correctly, the suffering will be intense, the voices in my head will be loud and insistent, and the second and third miles will seem like an eternity.

And that's why this morning was a bit of an aberration.

The race flew by. The worst I felt was in the first 5 or 6 blocks, when my legs were just plain wooden. But as we turned on to Naito, they magically loosened up and I settled in. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I had just glided smoothly past Alyssa, who I knew would be my only competition in the race. The truth is, I didn't want to race anyone today. I was hoping that I was in 18:30 shape, and all I wanted to do was see how fast I could run. So when I pulled into the (womens) lead early on, a little weight lifted from my shoulders. Now it was just me doing my thing. Would she come back on me? Possibly, but it didn't matter. My head was in the right place now.

It always amazes me how little I need splits for a 5k. Despite my doubts and low expectations coming into this race, once I settled in, I knew I was fine. (Note: by "fine" I mean that I would still have to fight like crazy against slowing down for approximately 2/3 of the race, but that I was running the right effort in the meantime.) I didn't see any mile markers anywhere on the course, but my watch did split a 5:52 first mile for me. I didn't know how accurate that was, but it felt about right.

A sense of calm washed over me as I realized with some certainty that I had underestimated my fitness. This was a good pace... hell, this is my distance, I know how to run this damn race!

As I crossed the Steel Bridge train tracks, I heard the train whistle and saw the train getting ready to go. Ha ha, you lousy train!!, I thought, you will not be stopping me today! I was practically giddy at having beat the train, and that's when I noticed something strange.  Where were the voices? Where was the dread? Sure, I started heavy breathing about 5 minutes into the race and my legs were starting to put up a fuss, but I really didn't care that much. I was busting my ass and it felt good.

We were running over the backs of the other two (longer) races of the day, which had started before us, so there were people everywhere. And maybe that was part of it. I didn't have time to feel sorry for myself because my mind was busy plotting a way through the packs of people.

When we turned off of Naito to zigzag back through Northwest to Broadway, the amount of road clogging intensified, as did the mental planning. People in the last mile of a half marathon are generally not expecting the leaders of a 5k to come barreling up behind them, looking for the quickest way past. I have never been more acutely aware of how loudly I breathe in a 5k, as people turned towards me with frightened looks on their faces as I ran by.

And just like that, I could see the finish line. Surprisingly, I had something left in the tank. Unfortunately, there were just too many people to make full use of this reserve. I cranked it up as best as I could in the space that I had and crossed the line in 18:05.

It's hard to describe how satisfying this race was. Sure, it's still 40 seconds off my pr, but it's also about 30 seconds faster than I thought I would run. And more than the time, it was how the race felt. It felt good. It felt damn good. Finally, after two years of frustrating training, of injuries and setbacks, of never quite getting back to race shape... finally, I could believe that I will finish my comeback this time.

So yes, I'll be calling this a comeback. And let's just hope it continues.