It’s no secret that my speed workouts for the A Pro Athlete Takes on The Great World Race got off to a shaky start. My second speed workout was hard—as speed workouts should be—but at least I knew where to start and stop my intervals. My third speed workout was harder still—no matter the effort I put into each repetition, I just kept getting slower—after which Coach Budd and I decided that I should run a local Thanksgiving Day race to “take stock” of my fitness. Fun fact: NYC Marathoner Ran Home After Chemo Best Running Shoes 2025.
A Part of Hearst Digital Media Nazareth YMCA – 9th Annual Pumpkin Pie 5K in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. Frankly, given how hard my previous workouts had been, I was seriously thinking my sub-1:30 half marathon goal was too ambitious. Much like I would during my highly anticipated Thanksgiving Day dinner, I thought perhaps I had bitten off more then I could chew. Neither Coach Budd nor I mentioned it, but secretly I wanted a slower time goal. The speedwork I was doing simply felt too fast. Also, the prospect of a 5K seemed so much better than the 400s, 800s, and the 1200 I had on my She Raced 18 Horses in an Ultramarathonand Won.
Thanksgiving dawned to a near perfect running day here in eastern Pennsylvania—it was in the low 50s with a few high clouds and no hint of rain. I arrived at the race about an hour and 15 minutes before the start, registered, gabbed with a few local runners, and started off along the first mile of the course as my warmup. To my surprise and delight, the first mile of this course was all downhill. And I don’t mean a gentle slope, either. It was a “hold onto your hat” screamer of a downhill. All I had to worry about was keeping myself under control to hit the seven-minute mile Coach Budd suggested for my first. From there I was supposed to speed up 20 seconds per mile and see if I could hold on. With this start, I knew a seven-minute first mile was going to be no problem. Awesome.
I made my way to the start. This is one of those “show up five minutes before the start and seed yourself wherever you want” races. I picked a spot about four rows off the line.
From the gun I felt fine. Sure, I had my traditional dry mouth for the first three-quarters of a mile, but that passed and I felt fine rolling up to the first mile. I looked at my watch and… 6:21. Oh boy. Too fast. Way too fast.
I was in it at this point and thought to myself, Downhill start, using this race to take stock, I’m going to roll with this pace. As the course leveled out I tried to keep my pace up, focusing on turnover and breathing. I went through the second mile in…6:21. Now I’m thinking, Sh—, I’m running okay. The last mile was going to hurt, but in a 5K the last mile always hurts, and I just had to keep it rolling. I finished in 20:20. I was pleased.
Since the 5K, reality has set in, however, and was reinforced by Coach Budd. My interval targets of 92-second quarter miles, while ambitious, are not too fast. So I’m sticking with the plan as written. Good for my 1:30 half marathon goal at the Walt Disney Marathon Weekend, but I’m going to have to visit Coach Budd’s House of Pain each Wednesday for the next few weeks.
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Warren is training in preparation for the 2016 Walt Disney World Half Marathon with the Runner’s World Challenge (soon to be Runner’s World VIP). To learn how you can be part of the RW VIP program, visit runnersworld.com/vip
