(5K) Racing strategies (I'm racing tomorrow!!!)

I, Caleb, am officially announcing my entry into the 2010 Strawberry Days Guns & Hoses 5K Race. I'm not exactly sure what the "Guns & Hoses" business is, but it seems like a pretty legit race. It'll be in Pleasant Grove, UT and will start at 7:30 a.m. Stay tuned for my post tomorrow where I'll tell you ALL about it, okay maybe not all, but as much as I am willing to share...

I'm pretty excited. The last race I did was September 5th, two weeks after I got heat exhaustion and it was a miracle that I was able to do it, then I took some time off, then came back, then got injured, took some time off, got diagnosed with parasites (which you can read about in my post on Viruses, Parasites, Homeopathy and Healing), then started making my way back. Okay, too much information (tmi), but my point is that it's been a while and I'm ready to get back into things. I think a 5K is a good place to start.

There are a lot of different strategies you can utilize, here are some that came to mind (I will end with my strategy for tomorrow) and if you have any strategies for running a 5K or adjustments to make to my ideas, please, comment below:

1. Just get through it. (Not one I prefer, but it works for some.)
2. Get your MP3/iPod ready and have songs picked out where you'll run hard and other songs where you'll slow it a bit.
3. Run with someone. It doesn't have to be anyone you know. I remember the first road-race I ever did, an 8K in Vancouver that the hospital put on, there was this guy running with a hat and he was running about the pace that I wanted to run so I stuck with him.
4. Reel people in. If you're the racing type, then pick people and catch them. Pick someone ahead and catch up to them. Run with them for a minute or more, then pick your next victim and have at it. The fun part is that there's a chance someone's doing that with you:)
5. Start off slow and gradually speed up depending on how you're feeling. Sometimes that works really well for me to say, "I don't have to run fast if I don't feel like it." Then I go out, I'm calm, cool, under control, start off slow and then I speed up and have a great race.
6. Fartlek it. If you have a count-down timer, set it for a minute or two and run one minute hard then one easy, or one minute hard, two easy etc. Similarly you can pick out landmarks and tell yourself to either get to that without walking or to run hard to that then you get a little rest or something.

My strategy will be one that I read about in the book "More Fire: How to Run the Kenyan Way" Many times you will see Kenyans run in races and they'll start off at a blistering pace and try to hold that high speed the whole time. Sometimes they'll run so hard that they'll drop out. That's my plan. I want to start off fairly fast and hold that speed. I want to find the lead pack and get in with them. I want to see what my body is capable of right now. There's only one way to find out: Push it and push it hard. Time-wise I'd like to break 16 minutes. My PR for 3 miles is 16:04 so it would be great to beat that at 3.1 miles and at elevation. I feel like it's possible. Have a great day and run fearless!