Morrie Miller 5K Race Report

After finishing the Morrie Miller 5K Race

I don’t know how I keep doing this but I managed to damage my calf on the Thursday before the race doing absolutely nothing.  I was rushing between activities to get ready for Yoga and pop! I could feel something in my left calf let go.  Then it felt loose and I couldn’t put pressure on it…just lovely.  

Just a day before, my first pre-race run was a two mile run on Wednesday which went quite well.  I wish I had more training before the race but I’m recovering from injury, I’m glad I got out there and had a good run.

For this race, I was just determined to finish even if I had to walk.  I had somehow encouraged Mr. Man to get back out there. He was training for this one so I was doing it; this race was for him.  His previous PR was 24:31 and he was determined to try to beat it.  He had let work get in the way of health and taking care of him and it was my influence that pushed him to make the active lifestyle a priority again. 

This is the third time we have run the Morrie Miller 5K.  The race is sponsored by the Morrie Miller Athletic Foundation which benefits Winona area youth activities.  Our first was in 2006 when we moved to Winona which was actually the first annual race.  

We had been together for a year at this point.  We met on the job in Downers Grove Illinois.  The commute was becoming too difficult in Chicago traffic so I took the job in Winona Minnesota and he soon followed.  We had decided we were going to have an active lifestyle together and entering races is one way to keep the goal alive.  

Mr. Man and I warmed up by running around the high school.  I was able to run but cautiously, so cautious I was.  I felt the calf tug but I was able to move so I did.

It was the Morrie Miller 5K that I had my PR 5K time of 33:07 in 2008.  This year I knew I could not PR, I was not running anything close.  I had hoped for at least 12 min/miles but I wasn’t counting on it; especially if I had to walk, it wasn’t going to happen.  

The view of Sugar Loaf  from Lake Winona

So we heard the bang and we were off.   I was determined to focus on form and take it slow.  I didn’t care if everyone passed me I was just taking it slow and steady.  The first leg is on the road along West Lake Winona, and then it heads around West Lake Winona and back along the same road to the finish at the high school.  

As I was running along the road towards the lake, an older man, in his 70’s, who is a life long runner and organizer of several area events, said “hamstring injury”.  Wow, he could tell I was favoring that calf! 

I kept it slow and steady I could feel the tightness in that calf but I kept moving forward.  I never felt tired or winded because I was taking it so easy but as I approached that last mile I let it go.  I was warmed up and stretched out and I finished at a 9 min/mile.  I am shocked at my max paces overall:  9:35 for mile 1, 10:15 for mile 2 and 9:02 for mile 3.  If I had known that I could actually run that fast maybe I would try harder to keep it up.   I am so up and down in my pace I always average between 11-12 min/mile and again I averaged 11:43 min/mile overall.  

The last stretch pushing a 9 min/mile pace to finish

My final time was 36:22.  I was amazed I finished it that fast, actually, considering my injury.  I am confident that the days of the 11 and 12 min/mile are almost behind me.  I’m confident I can make my 10 min/mile goal this year and 8 min/mile for 2011.  And as far as Mr. Man, he finished in 24:56 so close to his PR!  He is shocked he accomplished that much.  I am confident he will reach the 7 min/mile mark before he knows it.  He is running a solid 8 min/mile. 

I look forward to the day I can actually be fully prepared for an upcoming race and be able to run it like a race, not just like a training run I’m hoping to just finish.  And most of all Congratulations to Mr. Man!