Second 5K at a track meet. I felt intimidated at the last one, my first track event. The runners who participate are fast -- and I am not. Though I have been the first female in my age group at many races, the truth is there is also just not much competition. Fifty-year old Virginian women just don't seem to run the distances that I do.
Nonetheless I determined to be pleased with the last 5K track race pace, even though I came in near the very end. And knowing I'd come in near the end again, refusing to let myself be discouraged by those much faster than me, I set a goal to just finish this run in 90-degree heat while still being able to breathe. At the start the pack took off and soared ahead. I instead quickly set into a moderately comfortable personal pace and let them go.
Now the advantage of running with a pack is that a pack pushes a person to run hard. And I do like that. But I don't mind running solo; I can concentrate better on form that way and end the race less depleted. I am used to competing with myself. Running my own race at my own pace while the crowd runs another is a skill I've honed during 19 races this year. And that's what I thought I'd be doing last night.
But then shortly after the half way point, I had to slow a bit for a couple cars going through an intersection. As I looked over my shoulder for a safe crossing point, I saw Jeff "JC" Campbell just behind me. Now normally I run way ahead of him, so I picked up my pace a bit. For the first time in my racing career, I was neither running to catch up to someone nor running to stay with someone. Instead I was running to stay ahead of someone. Up the hills Jeff gained a bit. Downhill I gained. But he stayed right there, just off my right shoulder dogging me.
At the last down hill I picked it up just a bit more. Still he dogged me, the monkey just off my right shoulder. I could see his red shirt out of the corner of my eye.
I slowed to make the last turn, up a ramp, between two cones, up a knob, and onto the track -- slowing so I didn't lose footing on the uneven terrain. He came closer.
A volunteer yelled, "Stretch it out. Finish strong."
JC just off my shoulder, about ready to pass.
I tried to stay steady, knowing if kicked too soon I'd lose it at the end, and then right at the end he'd soar ahead. That happened to me once when I wasn't paying attention. And I was not going to let it happen again.
"Hang in there," I told myself. "Just a few seconds to the kick point. Save something for the end."
I rounded the second curve on the track and entered the last 100 meter straight away. Focusing on that line, I gave it all I had and crossed the finish line -- just four seconds ahead of Campbell.
I turned to him and gasped, "Thanks for dogging me. I was just cruising till I saw you off my shoulder. You pushed me!"
And he thanked me for pushing him by picking up the pace, and making him work. His time was a full minute faster than his last track 5K. Mine was 10 seconds slower, but a good solid 8:31 pace nonetheless. He's been running more since the last track meet; he said he'd tried to catch me then, but couldn't come close.
That increased effort made him a great competitor last night. But then good competition amongst those with similar athletic ability works that way -- it makes us push just a bit harder to do what we thought we couldn't do. And all the competitors end up stronger because of the effort.
Thanks, JC, for a great 5K!
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