Back to the 5k . . .

I didn't realize the 10k was a dying race, at least in the U.S. After spending last year focusing on 5k racing, I was thinking of focusing on 10k racing this spring/summer but there are so few 10k races to choose from. In fact, they are difficult to find. In speaking with a race event coordinator, she said 5k races are easy to pull together, and the half marathon continues to grow in popularity and the marathon will always be around and as a result, the 10k and 10-mile races are few and far between.

Being that I'm not one to drive a long way to run a short race, I've decided to focus back on the 5k as it's easy to find 5k races within 10-20 minutes of my house. This also means I need to tweak my training schedule and approach to get back into 5k shape. This simply means more focus on shorter intervals and faster tempo running to improve my leg turnover. It also means a mental change as it relates to a little "suffering." I don't mean suffering in a bad way but given the intensity of the 5k race, you must welcome a bit of suffering both in racing and training. In training, you need to push yourself a bit more, especially in the speed work so you get use to the feeling of going at or near "all out."

HHH