Spring Forward 15K

Fleet Feet's Spring Forward 15K was last Sunday at 8:30am in Mendon Ponds park. I had never run a 15K before, so it would be an easy PR if nothing else! I've been running 5:40 per mile on the track for recent tempo runs, so I figured I'd set out at that pace and see how things go.

It was pretty chilly (40F) and cloudy, but fortunately there was no rain or significant wind. I was faced with the standard pre-race dilemma regarding how little clothing to wear despite the cold and decided that since there was no wind, I'd be OK with shorts, singlet, gloves, and headband. Retrospectively, this was the right call.

The mood was pretty lighthearted at the start, which is usually just a blur, but I recall exchanging some jokes with Ryan Pauling and Eric Boyce and chatting with Josh Harter about winter training. After the gun, I eased into what felt a comfortable tempo pace, and I tried not to be irritated by "starting line sprinters" who I would have to pass within the first minutes of the race.

I came through the first mile mark in 5:40. I felt fine and tried to focus on good running form and energy conservation, and of course passing several runners who had gone out too fast. I could see the lead pack of Neal, Ryan, Mark Andrews, Marcus Gage, and a couple others about 25 seconds ahead. There were 2 runners in between their pack and me.

The next two miles passed by, and my pace yo-yo-ed a bit (5:47 to 5:38), likely due to the relentless hills on the course (nothing steep, but very little flat terrain). I came through the first 5K in 17:46. As expected, the lead pack was continuously gaining on me, but (also as expected) Gage had fallen off their pace. I set a mid-race goal to catch him and the two other non-leaders in front of me.

I was able to keep the pace pretty steady throughout the middle part of the race, splitting the 10K in 35:28 (which is, coincidentally, a 10K PR because my previous 10K time was pathetic). I caught the first of the runners around mile 4 and Gage around mile 7. The hills were tough, and I pushed the downhills hard to maintain my pace, but I felt strong throughout. The pace felt smooth and sustainable.

Mile 8 had the largest uphill (I think), which I split in 5:52. This was the hardest part of the race, as fatigue really began to set in. At the top of the hill, I caught Travis (see picture), who had been leading me the entire race by about 30 to 40 meters. I think we exchanged some words, something to the effect of "nice job," or "you too," but at that point comprehension becomes impossible and fairly pointless anyway.

I felt reinvigorated during mile 9, splitting it in 5:39, day-dreaming about running this pace in my upcoming half marathon. By now the lead pack had finished the race, but despite the lack of competition in front of me, I tried to come through the finish strong with something resembling a kick. I finished in 7th place in 53:19, which breaks down to 5:44 per mile. I was very happy with how my body responded to a long race, and I'm optimistic that in a month, I'll be able to run the half-marathon at this speed.

Spring Forward 15K results can be found here.