Seagate Elite Athlete 5k Summary

I’m back in the Midwest from my first race since I started this blog so I will try and summarize the race and the trip. I’m sure I’ll refine the process as I go, so please check back for updates. I need to begin by thanking Mark Winitz for accepting my entry in to the race and making time to show me the course the night before. Secondly, a large debt of gratitude is owed to both Ed Gordon and Shawn Love. Ed served as a gracious host during my time in the bay area and without his help the trip wouldn’t have happened. Shawn did everything from give me the heads-up on the race to make sure I made it to and from the airport safely. His loyalty and confidence in my ability got me to California. Overall the trip was great. Ed showed me around the bay area and it afforded me a much-needed break from the already cold Iowa weather. I was able to do a few runs shirtless, including a nice session on the University of California track in Berkeley. The course was a square circuit in downtown San Jose that was a little over 800 meters around. We started after a community 5k and 10k so there were a number of spectators lining the course cheering the elite fields. The race went as well as could be expected for me considering the training that I’ve done. I only missed my prediction of 14:15 by one second and with 24 right turns I’m confident that my time was worth at least a 14:10 on an out and back course. With the guidance of Coach Ihmels, I decided that I would stay on pace through four laps and then see what happened from there. I don’t know any splits exactly but for the first 3 laps I stayed right off of the leaders in about 7th or 8th position. In our conversation, Coach Ihmels and I decided that I would stay off the lead and out of the congestion, but stay in contact. Although I sacrificed a few meters on every corner it was worth it to me to avoid the pushing and have a little more room. After the third lap (1.5 miles) a couple of people began to push the pace and things spread out a bit. I stayed with the plan and covered the move during that lap. With about a mile to go it was down to three of us and it dawned on me that I would at least break even on the trip. About a quarter of a mile later we came to the incline on the course and I decided that it was time to push the pace. Afterwards in an interview, Mark Winitz asked me if I was running scared or if I was in control during the last loop. Honestly, it was a little of both. I knew that I was in control of the pace and felt that I had more to give, but with the credentials of the other athletes I feared that it was only a matter of time until I saw the back of a jersey again. Fortunately for my bill collectors, I was able to fend off the challengers and collect my largest payday as a “professional” athlete. A check of $2500 for 14 minutes and 16 seconds worth of work is pretty solid.