Jingle Bell 5k

After my marathon I expected to be sore for awhile but really by a few days after I felt pretty good.  I think I could have run the week after just fine but my allergies were bugging me and I didn't want to get sick for the holidays so I figured I had earned the right to play the "I just ran a marathon" card and sleep in for a week!  And so it was that my first run post-marathon was a 5k.

The Jingle Bell Run is a fairly big 5k through the Design District near downtown Dallas that begins and ends at the Hilton Anatole hotel.  I ran it in 2011 and liked it so I decided it made a good way to close out my 2013 season as well.

Having spent all summer and fall focusing on the marathon my emphasis was on going long rather than fast.  In fact the last speedwork I had done was back in spring 2012, 18 months and a baby ago. Between that and having just run a marathon I went in with no real expectation on finish time but with the intention to run as fast as I could and push hard the whole way.  My previous PR was 23:01 so I was hoping for sub-25:00.

Last time I lined up too far back and got stuck behind some walkers, strollers, and people with dogs.  For such a short race I didn't want to waste time doing that so I lined up near the front.  The horn sounded and we were off.

During long runs I try to look at my watch every few minutes to stay on pace but otherwise not focus much on it so it's an adjustment on short races like this to have to be more mindful.  Basically any time I caught myself feeling comfortable I'd speed up.  To me actually racing a 5k is challenging because it's such a short distance that I push a hard pace.  For a half marathon I settle into a mindful but comfortable pace; I could carry on a short conversation at that pace.  My 5k pace wouldn't allow for much conversation.

I finished in 24:04, which is among my top 3 5k finishes.  I didn't expect to PR so I was pleasantly surprised to be that fast (I know, it's not competitive fast, but fast for me!).  This spring after Cowtown I plan to focus on shorter distances and do a lot of speedwork, and it's encouraging to see that all those long miles in 2013 should have me well prepared for that.  It was a satisfying way to finish 2013.

Yesterday I kicked off my 2014 season...details later.