Great Bay 5k Recap

I didn’t want to do this race. I spent all day Friday thinking of excuses, and Saturday morning was no different. My goal was to run under 20 minutes, and that pressure made the idea of racing feel more stressful than fun. I procrastinated, delayed, and finally—after eating my usual breakfast sandwich—I got out the door.

With a short race like a 5K and a cold morning in the 40s, the warm-up is crucial. Luckily, I parked far away. I opted for short sleeves (the right call) and wore gloves for the warm-up. For the record—short sleeves and gloves is an elite running combo.

At the start line, I knew what I needed: a 6:25/mile average to break 20 minutes. If I executed well, each mile would get just a touch faster. The field was big, so I focused on running my own race. When we hit the 1-mile marker, I rounded a corner and saw the clock—6:26. Perfect.

That first mile felt smooth, and now it was just about hanging on. I tried to pick things up slightly for mile two. Whenever my form started to fall apart, I zeroed in on cadence and mechanical efficiency. Just after mile two comes a small climb before the long downhill finish. I worked that hill, made a few passes, and then opened up the stride coming down to the finish.

Final time: 19:42.

This year has been a quiet battle with my 2019 self—am I fitter now or then? Better at training? Stronger, even with more life on my plate? After running a 5:30 mile and now a 19:42 5K, I can confidently say: it’s working.

Enjoy some of the data below, and here’s to no more races on the calendar this year.

—Justin Miner