Race Report: Great Gower Run 2017

This race fits nicely into my fall running focus - lets me get a good block of training in after the triathlon season ends, and leaves time for another solid block before a final race of the year in late October/early November. And it's super close to home.

Initially I had no goals for this race. My big goal this fall was to try to break 40 minutes for a 10K in the season's grand finale. That still remains the goal, but as this race approached I started to wonder if breaking 19 minutes in this race would be possible. Initially that goal wasn't on my radar and seemed more long-term, but I was feeling good about my training and that sub-19 thought kept entering my mind. So as race day approached, I decided I'd go for it. I knew it would really hurt, and was an ambitious goal, but good goals are supposed to push you.

Race Day

Beautiful day for a race, as last year was. Cool temperature but nice and sunny. After warming up, I met last year's champ Michael and had a quick chat. I told him that if the stars aligned I might be able to make a run at sub-19. He said he might be right there with me - I think he's more of a distance guy, and apparently hadn't been able to come up with any real 5K speed this year. But he beat me by over two minutes last year, so I certainly didn't entertain the idea that I might actually be "racing" him for the win. But maybe I'd be able to keep pace with him for a while, if I was faster than last year and he was slower.

As per usual, the kids all lined up at the front and went off full bore. The first few hundred meters consist of picking your way through them. As we made our turn onto the main road, I was just behind Michael, with a kid who looked to be 12 or 13 leading us out. I glanced at my watch and saw we were running at about a 3:25 pace. This was obviously not the plan, and I was getting the impression Michael had underestimated himself. I felt good but knew 3:25 was not anywhere even close to sustainable for 5K, so I backed off. Michael soon took over the lead from the kid (Xavier) who continued run well.
Km 1: 3:34

This was way too hot a pace, but I rationalized that it was time in the bank that I would need later in the race. I was back running at what felt like a good 5K pace, and very slowly closing the gap to Xavier in front as Michael continued to disappear down the road.

Km 2: 3:46

Still holding a pace that was faster than what I had planned, but I felt like I had settled into something that I could keep holding. At this point I moved past Xavier, and he quickly tucked in behind me - he would basically be my shadow for the next 2 kilometres. Coming back after the turnaround, it looked as though we had a reasonably comfortable gap on our pursuers. I started to wonder if Xavier and I would find ourselves in a sprint finish for second - ultimately I wasn't "racing" the kid, but the clock, as my goal was sub-19, not a particular place.

Km 3: 3:54

Xavier stayed right behind me, and, as these races tend to go, things started to really suck.
As my watch showed 3:54, I was now running slower than my planned pace, but as I ran the first 2 km so fast, I had those 4 seconds to give, so was still feeling good about my chances of breaking 19 minutes (though not "feeling good" in general). As I pushed through the fourth kilometre, I could see that my pace was dropping off. I kept tying to refocus, but I was in a really dark place by that point. Towards the end of the fourth K we passed a cheering section with some kids that were friends of Xavier's "Go Xavier!" "Pass him!" they cheered, and he obliged. This didn't really surprise me, given how crappy I was feeling. He opened up a gap on me, and it was looking like I was going to finish in third.

Km 4: 4:06

I was really dismayed to see that "4" at the beginning my 4th K time... I was hemorraging time at this point, and the time I gained in the first few kilometres was looking like it was all being given back. I would really have to run that final km hot, and I knew that it would be a big ask given how I was feeling. There's a little bridge about halfway down the main road, right around half a kilometre from the finish. This was going to be my "go" point, where I'd put whatever I had left into my legs and empty the tank. As I picked up the pace, I passed Xavier. I never looked back, but it wasn't long before the sound of his footsteps receded into the distance. Either he didn't have that extra gear, or had injected too much pace when his friends cheered him on and had nothing left. Either way, it was a hell of run from a kid who I'm pretty sure wasn't even in high school yet. If we both do the race next year, he's going to kick my butt. Might not be long before he's kicking everyone's butt.

Km 5: 3:47

At the point that my Garmin signals the completion of the fifth kilometer, I'm still short of the finish line, so it's about another 10 seconds before I cross the line in my official chip time of 19:16.8. So well short of breaking 19. I can't help but wonder if I had of raced that first leg of the race more conservatively, if I wouldn't have crashed so bad in that fourth K. Or maybe I would have finished with an even slower time. Who knows? I certainly didn't feel like I left anything out on the course - that 19:16 was as horrendous as a good 5K should be. Oh, and Michael? Beat me by two minutes again.

Official Time: 19:17.2
Chip Time: 19:16.8
2/93 Overall
1/8 M30-39