Tex Mex 5k
Sam’s write up on his 3rd place finish at the Tex Mex 5k is worth reading if you love 5k’s. My only comment is that when you get older you don’t have as much time on hand, so training harder by putting less mileage is one of the only options to stay in shape. Good to see it worked in your favor.
My experience running the Tex Mex 5k was satisfactory as well on that hot June 22nd day. I got to the course about an hour early so I had plenty of time to warm up (lol). I was awarded the honorable bib number 1337 which I didn’t even realize until Sam’s eyes widened when he pointed out that I was LEET. I’ve been throwing in runs between 40-60 minutes along with some shorter runs about 4 times a week so I figured I was in decent shape. My time 2 years ago was 17:29 which is pretty much where I expect to be.
The Race
I was in the front of the race and got boxed in immediately by slower people. I scooted to the outside to get up with a group of about 10 guys behind the lead group of about 10 guys. My mouth immediately went dry but I felt fine physically so it wasn’t a big deal. I came through the first mile at 5:30 and my legs still felt strong. I was 11:03 at mile 2 so I knew I was keeping pace which led me to believe that I would still run a good time. The first part of the last mile is up hill and I knew from my run 2 years ago that the rest was downhill. My turnover wasn’t great up the hill but I got there without too much issue. I got passed by an old man (47) going down the hill towards the end and then outkicked by a stringbean. The final stretch is straight and I could see the timer as I got closer. About 100 yards away I could make out that the time was in the 16’s and I knew that the 17:30 mark would be eclipsed which was quite inspirational mind you. I finished at 17:17 which is my best 5k time in probably a decade. Also being able to do 3 miles at 5:34 pace makes me pretty confident I can run a good mile time which I promise I’ll do soon. Full results Tex Mex 5k results.
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