Running the 5K at the EMass championships is a real test, not only of phsyical fitness, but of mental concentration as well.
The problem faced by all runners is how to manage the pace on a course that tends to run very fast for the first mile and very slow thereafter. It is easy to get caught up in the nervous energy of the start and run close to your mile PR for the first mile, and then fade badly in the later stages of the race. But because there are so many runners in the race, it is also easy to get stuck in a bad spot early, and spend the race trying to make up for lost time. What's a runner to do?
Physiologically speaking, one of the most important things ANY runner can do is warm up properly, which means thoroughly. Warm muscles work more efficiently than un-warmed up muscles for aerobic tasks. Failing to warm up properly and then sprinting off at the beginning of the race forces the body to tap anerobic energy sources way too early, and leads to dead legs long before the final mile. Of all the races in the year, this one is the one you must concentrate on your warmup, with a 15-20 minute VERY EASY jog, followed by stretches, flexibility drills, and eventually 4-5 strides. In cold weather, runners should still strive to have broken a sweat by the time they line up for the race.
Ok, so after warming up properly, and lining up, what's the best strategy for the start? At Franklin Park, the start takes all of 20-25 seconds, as you cross Playstead field and then take a hard right onto the path that curves around White Stadium. The goal for the start is to run hard for about 10 seconds, and then relax into a steady, almost comfortable pace. Running the first ten seconds hard can improve your place when the pack finally comes together by 30-40 places, but it costs very little in terms of energy demands (IF you have warmed up properly!). After that, continuing to run harder than your normal race pace simply wastes energy that will be needed later. Besides, at this point the main goal is not to be running super fast, but to avoid getting tripped or trampled. I always make a mental note that if I'm still on my feet after a half mile, I've had a good start no matter where I am in the pack. And if you do go down in the early stages of the race, get up quickly but don't try to get back to where you were all at once. Be patient, and settl in for a bit before you start moving up again.
Having survived the start, and having settled into a steady but unspectacular pace, your main goal in the first mile is to monitor yourself and make sure your breathing is even and your arms and shoulders are relaxed. The pace will be quick, and your goal is to let the pack tow you along without pressing. It's likely that there will be people passing from behind. Don't be too bothered by this. Likewise, if you are passing people, try to make sure that it is because they are slowing down, not because you are riding a flood tide of nervous energy that is fooling you into going too fast. The first mile goes by quickly.
The second mile begins with a second turn past the stadium and then up and over Bear Cage Hill. Even if you feel pretty good and are getting itchy to pass people, it is usually a bad idea to charge up the hill at a much higher level of effort. At this point in the race, the goal is to increase effort slightly going up bear Cage, so that when you reach the flat part at the top you are not in need of a recovery. Try to quickly regain your normal pace over the top of the hill, and stay relaxed as you fly down the other side. When you hit the bottom of the hill, with all the screaming spectators, it's time to really focus on what lies ahead. The absolutely best place to pass people is the stretch from the bottom of Bear Cage, behind the start, past the finish line, and up the narrow lane just before the wilderness. If you have been running the race well, this is where you start going by runners who went out too fast. Ideally, you will simply be running your normal pace, and others will be fading, but if you feel that you have plenty of energy, this is not a bad place to try to increase the pace slightly and see how you feel. The two mile mark is about 100m past the finish line, as you take the right hand turn up the back lane between the stone walls.
And into the wilderness. Here, all your focus shuld be on running the course well -- by which I mean, keeping your stride cadence the same, cutting the tangents wherever possible, picking efficient lines through the curves, relaxing as you approach the tight turns, and accelerating out of them. The Wilderness is technical. You need to think like an Indy 500 Race car driver, or a downhill skier. The final turn out of the Wilderness is very tricky. Swing to the left before you hit the turn, relax, and then as soon as you have made the turn, work hard to get your stride back. At this point, you have about 2 minutes of running left.
The finish at Franklin is amazing, with everyone hitting Playstead Field and going crazy. Don't sprint too early, but don't save yourself either. I never want anyone to pass me once I hit the field, and will pretty much kill myself to maintain my position around the two backstops into the final straight. Once you hit that final straight, remember that you have arms for a reason, and use them to try to get a few more seconds out of your body as you come down the straight and into the chute. Try to focus on someone in front of you and just concentrate on beating that person. Every second is at least one place, you you can't stop racing until you are through the finish line.
And then you can relax... No, not really! In fact, you will be herded like a steer into a narrow chute with a hundred other exhausted, muddy runners, surpised to find yourself still alive. Enjoy the feeling! Years from now, you'll look back on these moments and there will be no mud, blood, snot, or sweat, only the sweet and pure memory of the effort.
That's it, the Franklin Park 5K course!
