Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

Running: A boost heading into N.Y. marathon

Last Saturday, I did something that's rare for me: I finished as the third woman in a 5K. I'm not that fast, and my legs are trained and ready to run the gauntlet that is a marathon, not sprint 3.1 miles.

Last Saturday, I did something that's rare for me: I finished as the third woman in a 5K. I'm not that fast, and my legs are trained and ready to run the gauntlet that is a marathon, not sprint 3.1 miles.

I did it by racing that specific race, not the clock. I didn't even look at my watch until I crossed the finish line.

Here's what I did:

Sized up the field. I knew this race, the Grace Race 5K, would be a small event. When I saw the crowd gathered at the starting line, I thought that I may have had a shot at winning an age group prize.

It's not easy to judge who is fast based on physical appearance or age. The overall winner of the race was 52 years old. I'm not someone anyone would call tiny, but I can motor. Instead, I used my previous knowledge from racing in the area to judge my chances: The woman who always beats me was there, so I knew first place was out. A friend who has worked in the running industry was also there, so I figured she'd beat me too.

Let the field spread out. Most people go out too fast in a 5K - the adrenaline pushes you forward, and you want to go-go-go. I resisted that urge and settled into a pace that for me was slightly uncomfortable. Within the first mile, the pack spread out. The leaders were out of sight already, and I trailed a handful of runners. If I could get past them, and put some space between us, I knew I'd have a better shot at winning an age group prize.

Knew the course. The race is held in Newton Lake Park in Haddon Township, a park I run several times a week. I knew where the mud slick was since it had rained earlier in the week, and I knew how long each segment of the park trail would be even though I didn't wear a GPS watch. I caught the chase pack in a transition from one segment of the park to another, and used that opportunity to pass those runners. They never caught up. When I saw the leaders coming back from a turnaround and counted women who passed me, I realized I was in third.

Held on. After I hit Mile Two, and turned my head and saw that pack farther behind me, I knew I just had to hold my pace (and the first- and second-place female winners finished more than three minutes ahead of me, so I didn't worry about catching up with either of them). This is more a mental than physical challenge, because if you're running a 5K right, almost everything should hurt at this point.

I passed a few runners who had gone out too fast and were walking, then caught the eventual 10th-place overall finisher in the last quarter-mile. He surged when he saw me, then I surged again and finished ninth overall.

Enjoyed it. I run a lot of races, and rarely win anything in my age group, let alone an overall prize. I'll probably be beaten by 25,000 people in the New York City Marathon next Sunday. So I got my trophy, posted a picture of it on Facebook, then gave it a place of honor on my bar cart, right in front of the trophy I won in a 2010 5K, which was the only time I've finished as the first woman in a race, ever.

I run for a lot of reasons, and winning races isn't one of them. I'm glad that I raced well in that event, and found a late-stage kick to finish ninth overall. It's a good mental boost leading into the marathon, especially since my training has been inconsistent because of illness this fall. So I'll take that trophy when I can get it - and display it proudly.