5k tempo. Because I’d skipped the hill session of the previous day, I had a lot of energy AND I had no pain in my legs, so I was ready to push.
It started off slow and easy…around a 6min pace. By the second km we had picked it up to a 5.45 pace, and I was still feeling strong and fit. There were six of us running; four in the front group and two in the back group. One of the other runners in the front group slowed down off the pace and dropped back towards the back group. Not long after, another suggested that we should “slow down to run with the others”. This is where I inwardly balked. On long slow run days, I have no problems going a bit slower to keep people running together. If there was a newbie to the group who didn’t know the trail and was in the back by themselves, of course I fully agree that at least one person should slow down to make sure they don’t run alone. But I disagree with the principle of running slower on a tempo day solely to keep the group together. Sure, there are days when I’m not feeling it and am happy to ease off the pace. Sure, I love the social aspect of running and love talking with my fellow runners. But I’m also running for me, and there are times I need to be selfish. As I promise my running friends during a race; “let’s start together, and then I’ll see you at the finish line!” Because at the end of the day, running is an individual endeavor.
So I didn’t slow down; me and one other person kept our pace up, and even picked up the pace to go faster. By the end of the 5k we were running around a 5.20 pace and I wasn’t sure who was pushing whom. How refreshing and exciting to see improvement! I remember one of my first tempos of the season when I couldn’t even hold a 5.45 pace. We finished the 5k in just over 30 minutes, which included our 2 walk breaks, then jogged back to the group to cheer them in. Honestly, they weren’t far behind. Hard to believe this 10k clinic is almost over!
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