Franklin Classic 5k

I ran the Franklin Classic a couple of years ago.  Going into it, my goal was to run under 33 minutes so I could get free entry into the Rocket City Marathon.  I really enjoyed the beauty of the course and ran much faster than expected, clocking a 32:14.  While it's not a really fast course, it still is my favorite 10k course that I've run.

I was going to run the 10k/5k double for a good marathon workout but Mary banned me from it.  She has banned me winning a race in a costume or winning both races if a "double" opportunity exists, because it looks cocky.  I'm not a fan of cockiness and I like to keep the wife happy, so I had to choose one.  Running the 10k as a tempo run would have been more ideal but that also meant a very early wake-up time.  Since I enjoy my sleep, I opted to sleep in and run a hardish 5k at around 10k effort and sneak under 15:00.

I wasn't really sure what to expect because I've been out of commission since the Hood to Coast relay with a double ear infection.  My body has been really run-down and I haven't been able to get in any solid training.  However, I wanted to break the 15 barrier, so I was going to run a little harder than I planned, if needed.

While the weather was pretty ideal when I ran this race a couple of years ago, it was muggy for this year's edition with a 145 degree misery factor (temperature+dew point, since the humidity doesn't mean much when you run).  But with the race being just a 5k, I didn't feel it would affect me more than 10-15s or so.

On the line, I saw Jacob Carrigan and Scott Bennett.  Other than those two guys, I didn't notice anyone who could potentially push the pace. However, there were a few high school kids and of course those guys always like to start out way over their head and then back-off once the pain starts to settle in.

After the gun went off and I finally got past the high school kids, I was alone.  I was hoping to run the first mile in around 4:45-4:50 and I went through in 4:49.  It was in range, but I felt really off.  My breathing wasn't bad, I just couldn't get my legs moving at all.  Normally, my legs and breathing can find that powerful sweet-spot where they work in-sync, but this morning, they felt like there were in two different places.

I tried to grit down bit and stay under 4:50 but my second mile was only a 5:03.  The second mile did include some short climbing, but I didn't expect to drop off that much.  I tried to pick it up again but I knew I wouldn't be able to pop out a mid 4:30 mile to close it out, so I tried to run hard without overdoing it.  The third mile had a nice, gradual downhill and I thought I would be able to make up some time before the short uphill.  I was expecting to run somewhere in the 15:15-15:20 range, so I was really surprised when I saw the clock towards the end of the race.  I ended up crossing the line in 15:29, with my last 1.1 miles at 5:05 pace.

Definitely a tough day at the office because I ran a faster pace than this for my nearly 20 miles of Hood to Coast running.  Maybe the sickness is still lingering and I don't have my strength back yet. If anything, this shows I need to work on my speed a little more than I anticipated.

Editors note: Two weeks after this, my iron levels were in the tank, so I felt this may have also played a large role.  When my iron is low, my endurance goes down, but my speed at 10k and under completely plummets.

Franklin Classic 10k

I've been away from the racing for a while but it's time to get back at it. My last race was a disappointment but I've gotten in some good training since then, along with some really tough speed workouts. Chris Herren told me the course was pretty tough, so my "B" goal was sub 33:30, with my "A" goal being under 33:00. Based off my last race, I didn't think sub 33:00 was very realistic but if I broke that time, I would get free entry into the Rocket City Marathon.

I knew Jeff Edmonds would be there. We've actually ended up running together for a few long runs along with some other really solid Nashville guys. Jeff seemed to be in pretty good shape, so I was looking forward to the battle.

The weather was slightly cool and pretty decent for racing. When the gun went off, I tried to be patient and didn't want to lead from the gun but the pace felt pretty relaxed. I took my time finding my groove and ran right near Jeff. I also saw a Kenyan guy out of the corner of my eye but wasn't sure how legit he was. After three or four minutes I ended up taking the lead and pressed on.

I hit the first mile in 5:20, which is a little over 33:00 pace. That first mile had a couple of rolling hills but I didn't want to start dropping 5:30s, so I made myself turn up the effort some. I covered the next mile in 5:06, which really shocked me. Chris told me the third mile would be pretty tough, so I slightly put the brakes on and split 5:25 there. I again got scared 5:30 miles would soon be a reality, so I really focused on finding my groove and seemed to find it. I covered my next two miles in 5:10 and 5:10. I was happy to see my four mile split was faster than my Moss Wright race just a few weeks ago and knew if I could keep on pressing, I would break 33:00 and make a run at sub 32:30.

My stomach was hurting some but I tried to turn it up over the last mile. Luckily this mile had a lot of long straightaways without many hills, so it was easy to find my rhythm. When I got close to the finish line, I saw the finish clock wasn't even over 32:00 yet. I was really happy and finished the race without kicking it in with a time of 32:12. My 1.2 miles was at 5:01 mile pace and I felt really aerobically strong. I definitely feel I could have run a couple more miles at sub 5:10 pace, so that's definitely a great sign and shows my body is adapting to the training.

Overall, I really liked this course a lot. It did have some rolling hills but it had that country road type feel, which I really enjoy. I think I'll most likely be back next year and may attempt the 5k/10k double.