Redmond Derby Days Dash

The thing about racing is that a good race can help you achieve that next better race.  The Seattle Rock n Roll Half two weeks ago showed me that I have not been able to achieve race pace in longer race efforts in years.  Why?  Breathing issues, biomechanical issues, ferritin issues all conspired to make me think mentally I couldn't push hard in races.  and dealing with all those issues, I could not.  Finally through much figuring and effort and help from CoachLesley.com, I've started to feel so much stronger and my training reflects that.  It all came together for the half marathon and I hit a time I've not seen in years.  AND I recovered quickly from that effort and felt great.

Now I'd signed up for the half marathon a year before and raced it but the main goal this year was to race the Ragnar Northwest Passage Relay.  I love relays and this year I'm captain of coachlesley.com Orange Ogres.  Details.  Details.  Details.  Relays are all about the details and having had great experiences with relays, I know what is needed to pull together 12 people and 2 vans.  I hope.  it'll be proved in less than two weeks. 

But there is the running too.  It's two weeks until relay time and I know I need a short harder effort and K does too.  I looked around and found Redmond Derby Days Dash.  a small 5k with a nice course, well organized and low key.  Best of all, 100% of race fees when to the sponsoring Pancreatic Cancer Foundation.  Now my legs were tired after 12 awesome (!) trail miles but it didn't matter.  Relay running is all about running on tired legs when you think you can't run one step more.

We got over to Redmond Town Center in good time even with the Highway 520 closure.  The race starts just over by the Sammamish River Trail.  It's a very pretty setting and the river is beautiful.  We watched a heron catch a fish just about as big as it was when on our warm-up miles.  VERY impressive!

I lined up towards the the front 50 people or so as I'd seen what results were like for last year.  It's a narrow path we were going to start on and I saw people (families really) who should NOT be lined up at the start line.  Fortunately race organizers sent volunteers with paper signs and pace guidelines out just before the race and that sent people back.

If you are asking me what those signs mean, that means you should be farther back in the pack of runners and walkers.  I stayed where I was and chatted with an older Japanese gentleman and younger fast dude.  Younger fast dude wanted to pace under 7 flat and I said i'd be going out slower than that.  Older Japanese guy wondered where the turn around was and I said 1.5 miles that way.  Like I said, it was a nice low-key event. 

and with the blast of an air horn, we were off.  That sub-7 pace for the first quarter mile I just expect now.  And then I settled and I felt great.  7:13 pace for the first mile and it felt good.  I'd passed older Japanese guy and younger fast dude and truthfully expected to be passed back later in the race.  Soon I saw the race leaders coming back.  I meant to check to see how many other women were coming back but before I knew it, I was at the turn around. 

and then I was keeping my eye out for K!  Ok, this is the time to focus.  At 1.75 miles there were two women ahead of me.  7:22 second mile.  Great.  Focus on pulling up to and passing those women.  Tank top gal had the same idea and we passed young gal at about the same time.  I pulled up even to tank top gal but she pulled ahead.  Fine.  Pull me in! 

I never looked at pace here and I'm sorry I did not as I did slow.  I was pacing directly with tank top gal thinking we were staying steady but in reality we slowed.  I was doubting my legs a bit as I could feel those trail miles and my breathing was a bit off.  Stay with it!  I pretended I was back at a track workout and just following NA the new runner who is cracking me up lately. 

Finally we hit the final little bridge, a quick down and a quick up and I know the finish is just around the corner.  I never quite caught up to tank top gal but was shocked to see the clock counting UNDER 23 minutes.  And in I went with a chip time of 22:50.  AMAZING! 

Turns out I'd beat Japanese guy and young fast dude.  Japanese guy said I was "best pacer."  I think I could've done it a bit better (K came out with even splits and a PR!) but compared to his way too fast start, I did pretty well.  Best of all, I took a chance.  I've consistently hit 23:30 or so for 5ks all last year and I knew I was faster.  I went out hard even on tired legs and still managed to come in faster than expected.  This course was a good course for that and it helped that it was marked exactly as a 5k instead of a lot longer as some courses can be. 

Tank top gal came immediately over to me and we both thanked each other for the great effort.  It definitely helped to chase. A nice cool down mile, a quick stretch session being stretched by the trainers they had and K and I were off to celebrate mutual PRs at Victor's Coffee Shop in Redmond.

8th female and 2nd in 10 year age groups.  I will take it!  

Ragnar, here we come!