Bank of Fincastle 10k

I first ran the Bank of Fincastle 5k/10k in 1990. I did the 5k that year as a senior in high school, and it was my first ever road race. I can’t remember my time or place (neither were good), and I was by no means a runner at that particular time. However, Steve Taylor set the 5k course record of 14:40 that year, and I remember thinking how amazing that was, especially since the courses are among the hilliest I’ve ever run. I’ve always felt like the 5k runs 30 or more seconds slower than most courses and the 10k probably 90 seconds or more. Needless to say, Fincastle is not a place to come if you want to PR.

In spite of the fact that the courses are slow, and additionally in spite of the fact that I’ve literally hurt myself at this event on several occasions (including breaking my foot during the 10k in 2010), the races have always been significant for me. Not only is the event in my hometown, but it has been part of my formulation and growth as a runner. So, I tend to try to run most every year, especially since they’re nice enough to have me back for free each year as a multi-time race champion. That said, I’ve made a commitment to myself to never run this race flat out ever again based on the aforementioned injuries, and this year was no different. I would be using the race as my tempo workout for the week and hoped to stay in the right effort range even though I knew that would mean a fairly slow overall pace.

I felt a little sluggish in my warm-up, but hoped it was just due to the cool morning and that I would feel better once the race got underway. However, as we headed up the mile long climb into town, I could tell it was going to be a bit of a tough day. Still, by the time we reached the first mile, I was in a lead pack of four that included myself and three high school runners. By the time we reached the point where the 5k splits from the 10k around a mile and half in, it was down to me and one other runner. Unfortunately for me, that one other runner also happened to be in the 10k, and the race was on. Not wanting to break away from my original plan, I continued along at my target effort and hoped it would be good enough. However, by the mid-way point of the race, a 180 degree turn just past 3 miles, I was around 10 seconds back, with the lead runner showing no signs of falling off.

At this point I knew I was going to have to pick it up if I wanted a shot at the race win, so I leaned on the pace ever so slightly. This allowed me to catch the leader and go by him prior to the four mile mark. I then put a few strides on him, but I couldn’t get far enough ahead to no longer hear footsteps. Before long, he had drawn even again, and we then went back and forth a bit. Just past the five mile mark, I had the lead, but he threw in a big surge shortly thereafter and I didn’t respond. I was already a bit outside the effort I wanted to be running and I wasn’t willing to run any harder. I made up a little ground over the last third or so of a mile, but it wasn’t enough and I crossed the line in second, around 5 seconds back of the winner.

To put it nicely, my initial reaction was not one of happiness. Now don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t a sore loser or anything. I sought the winner out, shook his hand, and told him good race. He beat me fair and square and deserved the win. I was just aggravated with the way I ran. While I had negative split the race by 37 seconds, my time of 36:48 certainly wasn’t fast. The course was definitely a factor in that, but I once ran 33:22 on this course, so it’s possible to run well in spite of all the hills. I just felt like I hadn’t run hard enough and wasn’t fit enough to get the job done.

While I wasn’t the least bit pleased immediately after, with some time to think about it, there were a lot of positives to take away from the race. First, the kid who beat me is James River High School’s #1 runner and has run around 16:50 for a XC 5k this season, meaning on the roads he would probably be a mid-16 5k guy. That makes me feel a little better about my effort. Additionally, I got in a good workout during a good week of training, and that will pay off down the road. Furthermore, I was 12 seconds faster than I ran in this race last year, and it’s always nice to improve from one year to the next. Finally, I busted some rust after not racing for over 3 months. I always planned to make an exception for this race, but I may even have to go back on my promise to not race until I’m in mid-16 5k shape because the lack of racing definitely hurt me some in this event.

However, I think the best thing about the way it all turned out is it served as a good wake-up call for me. I am now more focused, determined, and motivated than I was before this race. It made me realize that if I want to continue to do this, and in particular if I want to achieve the goals I’ve set for myself, then I need to commit 100%. Not that I’ve approached things in a half-hearted manner over the past couple years, but I’ve definitely left a lot of room for improvement, both in my daily actions and in my attitude. It’s time to get all that in order going forward.

I don’t know how things will turn out over the next couple years as I tackle the Masters ranks, but I’m now where I need to be to make a run at it. I’m excited about seeing what I can do and look forward to the journey. I said a while back that my motto for this year was “Nothing comes easy, so do what it takes,” but when I’m honest about it, that was mainly lip service. I now have a nice reminder of what happens when I don’t abide by that motto. Look for a post about my 2014 goals coming soon. Onward!