A Balance, Redefined

Magna Classic 5K

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Location:

Vestavia,AL,USA

Member Since:

May 31, 2007

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Other

Running Accomplishments:

Marathon Top 10 Finishes: 7 Bridges ('15), Utah Valley ('13), Salt Lake City ('08), Top of Utah ('07), and St. Louis ('04). Ran around the equator (24901.55) in 4,388 days.

Personal Records
Marathon 2:39 (SLC '08)
1/2 Marathon 1:12.30 (Provo River, aided '08)
10K 34:16 (Track, sea level '00)
10K 33:15 (Des 10K, aided '08)
8K 25:32 (Crack of Dawn, aided '13)
5K 16:44 (Track, sea level '00)
5K 16:07 (Running of the Leopards, aided '12)
 

Short-Term Running Goals:

NYC Marathon November 3, 2019 done 

London Marathon October 3, 2021 done

Tokyo Marathon March 3, 2024!!!

And my largest challenge to date, raise $20,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in honor of my cancer survivorship and in memory of those lost to blood cancer...
DONE! $26,403.70

https://pages.lls.org/tnt/al/london2021/awende

Long-Term Running Goals:

Enjoy being a Masters Runner.

Get under 3 hours one more time...

Personal:

Grew up outside Chicago and joined the blog while I lived in Salt Lake City. Now living outside Birmingham. I am married with two daughters. Wife thinks I'm crazy for doing marathons. And yes I am crazy I'm a scientist for a living...

Click to donate
to Ukraine's Armed Forces
Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 331.25
RM 090416 Lifetime Miles: 136.06
Saucony Type A Lifetime Miles: 200.18
Nike Vaporfly Pink Lifetime Miles: 122.22
Saucony Ride #37 - Black Lifetime Miles: 56.50
Saucony Ride #38 - Neon Lifetime Miles: 53.50
Saucony Ride #39 - Grey Lifetime Miles: 59.50
Brooks Launch #38 - Grey Lifetime Miles: 65.25
Brooks Launch #39 - White Lifetime Miles: 57.50
Brooks Launch #40 - Blue Lifetime Miles: 54.00
Race: Magna Classic 5K (3.12 Miles) 00:16:08
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTrainer 1 MilesTrainer 2 MilesRacer MilesTotal Distance
8.000.003.000.000.000.000.0011.00

Single: If you've been following my blog, since the marathon you've seen I've been a bit of a head case. And today brought in the old saying that competition is 10% physical 90% mental. That being said going into this race I had high expectations. I wanted to break my old PR by at least 31 seconds. The course had been talked up a lot and I felt that with my current fitness level this was realistic, and I still do. I had gotten at least 7-hrs of sleep each of the last two nights so I was feeling rested. However, the mental strain of the week did have me a little more tired than I would have liked. I got to the course while Demetrio was setting up the finish and chatted with him briefly for the first time in a few months. Then headed over to the start. I saw Josh and Megan and did a  good warm-up with them, I enjoy their senses of humor and it helped ease me into the race. I did a brief additional warm-up on my own and then headed over to the line. I spoke with Steve A. briefly and told him my main goal was to go all out through the 2-mile and then see what I had left. I shouldn't have put this into words, as we will see. I had prepared myself for this course and new that it was fast. However, it is not as crazy downhill as I was expecting. In fact it isn't even as steep as the FireHouse mile. This does make me more happy about the outcome of this race. Also, the weather was near perfect. Just a little too cool which is great for racing and a great 10-15mph tailwind for nearly the whole first two miles.

The first mile is the fastest and Josh and Megan had warned me not to flip out about the split. So I went out by feel and didn't look at my Garmin until the beep at the mile marker. The thing that did have me flip out a little were the presence of two bloggers I did not know JeffMC and Tyler (Cannonball). They were putting a gap on me quickly but I just kept going by feel. As I would find out later both are 5K "speed demons". In the way back of my mind I wanted to run a "2:30 St. George" equivalent which would be ~15:31 by Sasha science. That would have me at the mile marker in 4:46, I hit 4:44.12 a new mile PR, with only 152 ft of descent. Already in the second mile I was feeling it but I REALLY wanted to hit a sub-10 so I kept to what I told Steve and toughed it out, I hit mile two in 5:08.40 (close to my HS PR) with 138 ft descent and went through the 2-mile mark in 9:52.52 a new 2-mile PR (first time under 10). I don't know if it was the mental strain of knowing how fast I was running or the very light 40ft climb after the turn, but I quickly dwindled. Steve A passed me at this point and I'm still kicking myself for not going with him, I think we would have easily both been under 16 if I had, sorry Steve. I had it physically but mentally I wasn't doing too hot. Also, I was shaking up my innards a bit and was thinking bathroom, bad idea... I looked at the Garmin and I had dwindled to about 5:50 pace. Instead of making me go faster it hurt me more. However there are two quick turns and then you can see the finish. I put it in overdrive and tried to get back to Steve. I managed to drop my pace back down to ~5:10 (showing I was obviously dogging it) but it wasn't enough, I didn't get Steve and I didn't get sub-16 but I did get 16:08.30 for a new 5K PR. I was really impressed with how well Steve ran after the accident and the other bloggers did great. Sasha had a particularly great race considering he was running Ogden this time last week. Overall you can't complain when you set a PR, much less THREE of them. The only thing I'm upset with is I KNOW that my body had a sub-16 in it today but my head kept it from coming out. The good news is that I now know that I can run this pace, aided or not, and I can't wait for the Des 10K!!!

After the race I had a good talk with Steve A. Then did a cooldown with the bloggers for a little over a mile then the rest of the cooldown with Bill C and another good conversation. So overall both socially and running wise it was a great day. Mi 4-R2, 7-AA Race Avg. 5:10 (Garmin did get the heart rate monitor to me in time but I didn't set it up right. I would have loved to have known my HR during the first two miles :(...)

Asics DS-Trainer #1: 210 / / Asics DS-Trainer #2: 212 / / Saucony Rides #1: 208 / / Saucony Rides #2: 217 // Adidas Adistar (flats): 157

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Comments
From josse t on Sat, May 24, 2008 at 16:08:24

Great job on a humongo pr!

From Michael on Sat, May 24, 2008 at 16:18:02

Way to run and great times - when you were finishing I had a mile to go. You top runners are amazing

From James W on Sat, May 24, 2008 at 16:32:00

Way to go on the PR, Adam! Maybe this time next year, I hope to be up there at the same level of you and several of the other bloggers, but I still have a ways to go! Keep up the good work, and look out, marathon PR!

From jtshad on Sat, May 24, 2008 at 23:35:56

All I can say is...SMOKIN'!!!

Way to power thru to new PR!! You are a stud!

From Lybi on Sun, May 25, 2008 at 00:14:53

3 PRS! Holy moly, man! I can't believe you are talking a little like there was some underperforming. Just amazing--and that is all!

What a fast mile time!

From Chad on Mon, May 26, 2008 at 17:25:18

Nice race, Adam! It is a blinding fast course. I think you can go sub-16 on the right day.

From Jon on Mon, May 26, 2008 at 18:20:56

Lots of PR's! Good work!

From Dave S on Mon, May 26, 2008 at 21:57:56

Adam, great race. That first mile was smokin. I didn't know you were there or I would have said hi.

From Adam RW on Tue, May 27, 2008 at 08:36:25

Thank you everyone. The more I think about the performance the more satisfied I am about it. I like to push myself and with my recent string of successes I've become more demanding. I guess this is a good thing, but I have to remember to keep things in perspective as well.

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