On track

Another fun night at the Coffs Harbour Athletics.

First up was the 200 metres.

I scorched round the bend and up the straight in 31:65, which is at least an improvement from three weeks ago.

Once the novelty sprint event was out of the way them came the blue ribbon 3000m. I wore my new Brooks ST-4 racers. They felt really good.

Off we go, and I decide to really go hard the 1st km, make it hurt and see what I have the last 2km. I’m out in the lead going hard, and it felt really good.

I did the first 200 metres in 44 seconds, which is about 11 minute 3km pace. The first lap was about 83 seconds. I started lapping  some of the back markers.

1st km 3:32 per Garmin, about 5 seconds up on last race.  Not long after this I hear breathing on my shoulder and I wonder who it is. The early pace is stinging my lungs, and I’m losing form quickly and blowing hard.

Obviously I need to work on speed endurance.

The guy behind me stays there for a lap or so. It’s a guy called Greg who is running some handy times for 800s and 1500s on this track, faster than I am capable of at present. In the back straight he decides to make a move, and goes past,and I am unable to respond.  

2km 3:45. I think the Garmin is not measuring very well around the track tonight. This is 13 seconds faster then the last 3km race on this track.

Greg has built up a 30-40 metre lead, and I lack the guts to try and eat into it.

Matt the Jaca Fun Run winner is on the side of the track cheering me on, but I don’t have the energy to thank him.  I’m really winded and blowing like the Kiama blowhole in a hurricane.

3km 3:45. The Garmin is not accurate tonight.

The Garmin 3km time I get is 11:02, which is way out.

I start to take stock of the energy I have left, and I wonder if I can go hard with two laps to go.

My heart and lungs and legs say no.

I hear the last lap at 10:15, and I want to at least improve on my last run of 11:55. I lift the tempo with one lap to go, and aim to see if I can sprint when I hit the 200m mark.

I feel as if I might loose my breakfast, but manage a kind of sprint in the final straight.

I finished in 11:45, which is a ten second 3km masters PB. I finished second in the race.

My Garmin says 3.23km. I did the last 227m at 3.14/km  pace, which is not a bad finish.  

I think if I did some track intervals, I could improve my speed endurance, and stop that 2 and 3rd km fade. Perhaps I should start with 3 X 1km with 90 second recoveries. I’m confident I could do these without injuring myself.