Denouement

5.19k warm up.  Nice cool day.  My goal was to run a sub 37:30.   I think I am getting in better shape, and have been excited to do better on my track 10k next Sunday.  But I can't race next Sunday because Ben is getting confirmed as a deacon, graduating from Primary, and reciting an Article of Faith in sacrament meeting next week, so my plan for a better track 10k will be unrealized for a while. 

My last track 10k was 37:37, and then my road 10k was 37:36.  Anyway, so I really wanted to break 37:30.  

We had a strong group of Team Italia again.  Colin, our top runner, is moving out of HK in a couple of weeks, and this is his last road race, so this was one farewell, and we will have a farewell dinner this coming Wednesday.  Our race is along a promenade along the Tolo Harbor, and the water was beautiful this morning.  Colin and a friend went to a beach after the race, it starting to be beach weather!

The course is 2k out, then 180, then back to the start, then 180, then 3k out, then 180, then 3k to the finish.  It is almost completely flat.  But the 3 u-turns cost a couple of seconds each.  Kit Ching wasn't there, so my 1st place wasn't really in contention barring a blow up.   I wanted to do a 3:45 first k, then try to drop to 3:44 and stay there.  There were no markings at each k, just at 2k marks.  I did a 7:31 first 2k, didn't take first place until about 1k. pretty close to where I wanted to be. Next 2k was 7:30, next 2k was 7:32, then 3:46 for the 7th k (a bit downhill), then 3:50 for the 8th k (a bit uphill), then pushed to try to gain some seconds to squeak below 37:30.  I thought I did enough, but they were calling 37:32 as I approached the finish, but the time they posted was 37:30.  I was pretty peeved at myself at the finish for not putting forth more effort.  I didn't fall apart in the middle, but the 5 seconds given up in the 8th k came back to bite me.  Oh well, a good performance, if not a great one.  Our team's #2 girl out kicked another girl so we came in 1, 2, 4 for the ladies.  We came in 1, 2, 3 for the men, Colin winning as usual. Roberto kicked butt and did something like 34:23?  Crazy fast.  I want to tap into some of his ability.  Nice long cooldown with team mates and a gratefully quick awards got me home by 11:08, then changed clothes and took JJ to church.  We got to church at 11:48 so he got a solid 12 minutes of primary.  He wanted to go since he was supposed to bring two cookies to two kids who did not come to his class.  I felt a bit sheepish coming so very very late and unshowered too, but glad I could have that time with JJ. 

Easy Tai Wai loop.  45 min elliptical, core workout

Ran around Kowloon CIty.  Checked out Morris Park, the Kowloon Walled City, then went to Kowloon Tsai park, where I did 3 x 200m at 5k pace since I had a 5k on the track the next day.  Ended by the library where I picked up some books. Was going to do a foot massage in MongKok but I lost 120 cash on the street and had no other money on me so went back home disappointed :(

AM: ran 4.83 miles on the tm in the morning, shake out for race in the evening.

PM: had a 5k race on the track.  Warmed up 6k, very excited to find out that Alison Chow is racing it.  She is the to HK marathoner, just got a 2:49 in the fall, and a 2:48 last month.  We have trained together in the fall, but then she went to mainland to train, and she has recently come back to HK.  We haven't raced each other yet, but I suspected we are pretty close, and having her in the race meant that I would need to work hard and would have company.  Her coach said she would go out with 84s and I wanted 85s so that was awesome.

So here's how the race went:

600m - 2:09, the first 200m was 44 or so, too slow, so I took the lead after 200m and got us I think an 4 for the first full lap

2 - 85 

3 - 85

4 - 85

5 - 84

6 - 86

For the first six laps we would trade leads every 1-1.5 laps, then she took over and I let her keep the lead 

7-87

8 - 86

9 - 86

10 - 87, she has gradually increased her lead to about 5 seconds by now

11 - 86, I know she is tired and I try to get back into it, with the bell I am about 4 seconds behind, Roberto was there screaming at me to go for it.  Paul was also there cheering for me, it was inspiring

12 - 75, for the first 100m I am trying to muster up will, I am considering if I can pass her in the second 100m, in the third I go for it, and I pass her with about 90m to go, and I beat her by 4 seconds.  

17:46 total, one second faster than my last 5k.  It was hotter than the last 5k but still decent racing weather (perhaps 22C?).

 Only did 500m cool down because we had a dinner party at night.  It was at a private kitchen run by one of the Italia running club members who is a chef and is actually an Italian.  It was really fun.  Got home after midnight.  I had no real sleep until 4am, the evening was too exciting.  2 hours of sleep--bleh!

No running!  No nothing!  I got 2 hours of sleep, then got the kids off to school, then got an hour nap, then went on a field trip with my youngest.  

Ran a bit on my own then met up with Alison Chow for 5 minutes, then ran with Solange for the rest of the run. 4:53 ave pace

Ran 5k, then met up with Jane and Philippe on Bowen Road.  Jane pulled off to join the folks at Wan Chai Gap after 2k, and Philippe took me on a hilly and trailly loop of the Island.  It was very pretty but the run was pretty rough on my legs.  It had some strong downhills, and my legs are way out of practice. We kept a pretty brisk pace for 15k of the run.  Watch only showed 4:20-4:45 pace for the 15k we did harder, but it was worth more than that.  The last 3k was nice and easy, which was good because we stopped at his flat (3k from the start) and the muscle below and to the inside of my knee started yelling at me.  I don't think it liked the downhill.

I did 30 min of football (that's soccer for you Americans) with the kids in the afternoon which was some nice crosstraining, and plenty of walking in the Lok Fu area (we went to the Kowloon Walled City then played at Carpenter Road Park), and I did a core workout at night.