A 20k run on a Saturday, supposed to be a tempo run, which somehow became a
race, which somehow became a lesson about the plans that survive the starting
line and the ones that do not.
The plan
Run the first 10k easy, the second 10k at threshold pace, around 4:15/k. Total
time somewhere around 45 minutes. Treat it like a workout, not a race.
The first 10k
Easy, smooth, feeling strong. Mile three a group of three runners passed me,
steady, looking like they knew what they were doing. I sat about fifty metres
back, relaxed, watching them work.
The middle
By the second 10k marker the threshold pace felt good, which is the signal
that you can go faster, which is the signal that a race is starting, whether
you meant it or not. I moved up and caught the trio at 12k.
They were running 4:10. I sat in for two kilometres at that pace, which was
faster than the plan, which was fine.
The moment
At 14k I did not feel terrible. I felt good. The other runners were still
there. The finish line was six kilometres away and the body was saying yes.
That is when you move.
The last six kilometres
Five kilometres faster than planned, at 3:55, the legs still responding. The
three runners stayed close for five kilometres and then fell back one by one.
The last kilometre was alone, which is where you learn if the pace was real or
if the crowd was carrying you.
The pace was real.
The time
39 minutes and 12 seconds for 20 kilometres, 3:56 per kilometre, which is a
marathon pace of about 2:44, which means the training worked and the body does
what you ask if you ask it correctly.
The plan that survived
The plan to run the first 10k easy did not survive the starting line. The plan
to run threshold pace did, even though the pace got faster. The part of the
plan that matters, the weekly pattern and the monthly cycle, survived
everything.
The plan is a skeleton. The race is the body it hangs on.