Why I Fear the 5K

In this month’s Runner’s World magazine, my BFF from last week’s blog post, Lauren Fleshman, wrote an article about why the 5K is “freaking awesome.”  But to me, there’s nothing fun about this popular fun run distance.  In truth, I’m kinda frightened of running another 5K.

To me, the 5K is like the scariest ride at the amusement park – it’s intense.  You just get on board and try your best to hold on.  You think I’m talking about breathing hard?  Try panting.  If I could talk during a 5K, I’d tell everyone “I’m Dying!”

After my last 5K (also the only 5K I have run in the past two years), I couldn’t even get down a beer.  It was that bad.  I felt so sick last summer after finishing the NoDa 5K on a muggy Friday night in an unimpressive 18:20.  I even thought about dropping out of the race around mile two because my pace felt so uncomfortable.

Stormy Weather the Night of the '13 NoDa 5K (Photo By Jon Pfeifer)

I’ve decided that the half marathon is probably the easiest race distance.  Like the marathon, you don’t breathe hard unless you got problems.  You can chat, make new friends, and eat a snack in both the half and full marathons.  In fact, racing a half or full marathon is probably a better way to meet people than going to the bar (you already know you have something in common!), and you will probably feel better the next day too!  Unfortunately with the full marathon you run the risk of bonking and hitting the infamous wall, but most runners can sail over the half marathon finish line and over to the beer tent without being forced to slow to a crawl.

The last half I ran was the Marine Corps Half Marathon in preparation for the 2013 Marine Corps Marathon.  I ran the relatively flat course at Camp Lejeune on a 70-degree day in 1:22:36.  It was a breeze.  I enjoyed nice, negative splits (ran the 2^nd half of the race faster than the first) and a couple of beers at the post-race celebration.

I like the longer races because they feel easier, but I realize that the distances also help cover my weaknesses – And who wants everyone to see her flaws?!  You don’t have to be quite so speedy in the longer distances.  You just have to be efficient – something my small frame helps me accomplish.  But a 5K requires more than just endurance.  A runner must be fast and strong to perform well.  And frankly, I think I’m a little weakling (the therapist even told me I had a weak tush).  The fact that I’m still a somewhat newbie runner is blatantly evident when I’m gasping for air after only a mile of hard running.

So, if you are one of those runners who believes that your frequent weekend 5Ks are insignificant and that you could never imagine running 26.2 miles, I will tell you that I am the one who is impressed.  I know that a 5K is HARD WORK.  Like Fleshman, I think the 5K needs more street cred than it’s receiving, but I also would encourage all the 3.1 milers to try a marathon or a half sometime – You may find that it feels easier than you think.

2 Weeks till Running (Hopefully!)

This Week's Beer Choice:  Catawba Brewing Company's Firewater IPA