2020 5K and 10K Goals

Today, just three days after running a 5K, I ran a 10K.  I wrote about my race plan yesterday, and I tried to execute it today.  My 2.5 mile warm up went perfectly, with the first mile starting off at over 10 minute per mile pace, but by the time I finished, had comfortably run the mile in 9:12. I picked up the pace and effort gradually over the second mile and finished it in 8:12, and I felt good. I threw in a couple of short strides at about 6:30 pace.  I then got in one last restroom break and got to the start line with several minutes to spare.  I went out the front with a 65 year old guy who proceeding to gap me pretty quickly.  Of note, he won the 10K, with a time of 42:30.

The first two miles of the race were relatively flat, and I went out a little too fast, but throttled it down and backed off until I hit the first mile marker in 7:31.  I backed off during the second mile, and my breathing was still around every fourth step, though my legs were already fighting me a bit.  I hit the second mile in 7:58.  At this point, I figured that I'd modulated my effort enough and tried to maintain as best I could that I could keep close to my goal pace.  The third mile was slightly uphill and it was definitely tougher, but I resisted the temptation to back off.  I maintained a hard breathing effort of around every 3rd step to every 4th step and finished the third mile in 8:28.  During the next mile, I hit the turnaround and was hoping topic up my pace on the slight downhill sections that followed. Mile 4 came to 8:18 despite my effort to go faster.  My hamstrings were feeling tight an my legs weren't very cooperative at this point.  Still, I kept pushing, and my breathing for the next mile was every 3rd step, when I hit the end of Mile 5, I'd managed an 8:11 mile.  I believe that I was pushing as hard as I could.  I continued to push the last mile, breathing every 3rd step, but my legs really wouldn't cooperate and I only managed 8:32 for mile 6, despite it being slightly downhill.  The proof in the pudding was the final two tenths of a mile, where I couldn't go much faster than 8 minute per mile pace, despite giving it everything that I had.  I crossed the finish line in 50:53, about a minute slower than I'd expected, and two minutes slower than the Daniel's race calculator would have predicted from my 5K, but considering that I'd done this 10K just 3 days later, I'm good with.

So, what are my goals for 2020.  I'm a goal oriented person, and while I won't completely hold myself to these goals, I'd like to have a target this coming year.  I'd like to get my 5K time below 22 minutes, and as close to 21 minutes as humanly possible (if it is possible).  The 10K should follow naturally, as I have a considerable endurance base with which to realistically base my 10K time off of my 5K time.  A 21:50 5K would translate to a 45:16 10K.  Those are my goals.  It also translates to a 6:25 mile.   I have my starting point, now it's time to work with my coach to make these happen!

On a fun note, in an albeit small group of 12 men today, I was 3rd overall amongst the men.  The 60 year olds ruled, with a 65 year old finishing first and me finishing 3rd.  It's always fun to come home with overall and age group medals, no matter how many people are in the race!