Best 5k time in a decade!

Make that my only 5k time in a decade.

Jos convinced me to run Nite Moves, santa barbara’s weekly summer 5k run (and optional swim). I run maybe twice a month, just enough to pretend that I can still do it. I used to be a fairly solid mid-distance runner in high-school, pulling off sub-17 minute 5ks in my best years.

14 years later, not so much. I got a 22:26, enough to give me 54th place. Woot! At least that gives me tons of room for improvement. The whole Nite Moves scene is great scene with lots of cool folks, a beautiful setting by the beach, live music, free beer and free food. All that’s missing is a cycling event and it would be paradise.

Jos PR’d again, this time by 30 seconds with a 24:08. She’s got another 40 seconds to shave off before she beats her first 5k time by a whole 10 minutes!!

I can’t tell whether this photo of me on the finishing stretch is a look of pain or happiness. Probably both. It was fun but very painful. My legs are fine pushing up the hills (go leg extension!) but my legs turn to crap when the road goes downhill and I have to start pumping those hamstrings and dealing with the impact shock of the concentric contractions. My heart and lungs were fine .. I wasn’t really even able to push my HR that high since the plain bio-mechanical inefficiency of my legs was holding me back.

Next week, maybe throw on a wetsuit and do the aquathon? Wednesday is now officially cross-training day.