Training Log Archive: markg

Nice long easy warmup out to the national park and back to the race start. Ran into Geoff Stacey who'd just run the half.

Noosa News 5k at the Noosa Winter Festival. I'd never run a 5k before so was pretty sure it was going to be a PB - as long as I finished, which I've had problems with lately ;) My hope was to do around 18min. Sub-18 was the dream but more realistically I was thinking of 18.

I arrived at the start 10min early and discovered that wasn't nearly early enough to get a good start position! I managed to jump the fence and get about 5m from the front along with a bunch of 10 year olds, mums and dads so the start was understandably chaotic! I nearly cleaned up a woman when the gap I was running through turned into a small child. I started to clear the pack after 300m — I was well off the lead already — and started reeling people in. I went through the first k in 3:25 which was on target and then 2km in 3:33 and still feeling pretty good and had been steadily gaining places. I passed Megan and Ewan just before 2km which gave me a little boost and then again (it was an uninspiring out and back course) just after 3km. It's nice to have a cheer squad :)

Started to struggle after this and was just trying to hold on but I was in a small pack with people surging and then dropping off again. As we neared 500m to go, the group had thinned and I was a few metres behind a guy with facial hair and a teenage kid and didn't feel like I had anything left to challenge them. After cresting the final bridge, with about 150m to go, I was closing in a little and enthused by this managed to lift my pace a little more. I reeled in both of them but facial hair guy got a second wind and came back over me in the last few metres.

I was really happy with nearly cracking 18min and started wondering where I'd come in my age group. I had no idea how many had finished in front or how old they were but figured a place was possible. Pat Caroll was doing the presentations and when he didn't say my name for 2nd or 3rd I figured I was further back but to my surprise I'd won! Nice to win something even if it feels a bit silly to 'win' a 5k in 18min :) I got a swish medal that Ewan wore proudly and a $100 shoe voucher from Mizuno and Allez Sport in Mooloolaba. Turned out I was 5th overall and I actually beat facial hair guy on net time. Great day all up :)

C • nice win 3

Slow jog back to our accommodation.