My plan for today was a race day up in Grand Forks, ND, for the annual "Frozen Feat" 5K/10K event. I did this race in 2011 on a relatively cold, windy day, I think the temps were in the low 20's, but with a 15-20 mph wind to create crazy wind chills. I remembered it being one of those races I just wanted to finish and wasn't worried about time due to the conditions and how I was feeling that day.
Well, earlier this week, forecasts were calling for some drastically cold temps for outdoor exercise, such as -10 below for just the temp, and wind chills in the -30 to -40 ranges. The race directors choose to eliminate the 10K option and do just the 5K, but runners must take their own risk at running it.
They also created a Virtual 5K option to do from today through next Saturday, either outdoors or inside on a treadmill. All you have to do is snap a photo of your GPS, smartphone screen image, or your treadmill readout.
After fighting a cold for well over a week now, and not wanting to risk my health in cold temps, I choose for doing the treadmill option.
I went to the gym at 7am to get this in today and get it out of the way. I wasn't sure what it would go like, since I haven't ran on a treadmill all winter, and have been getting mostly outdoor runs, 2-3 a week if I can, and keep it relatively easy.
The rest of my training, as you well know, has been including kettlebell swings as a foundation and core base of exercise time.
Once again, I am amazed at how well kettlebells can help you with running when it comes time to run faster for a race.
Not sure what to expect, and taking it relatively easy for the first mile, I felt the need to slowly build up to a 6:30 pace and see how I could handle it. I was at about a 7:03 pace after mile one, bumping up the speed by .1 mph every tenth of a mile, getting it to about a 6:30-40 pace for the rest of the distance. I felt really good and almost wanted to crank it out faster, but I felt it was better to just keep feeling good while going at a slightly faster clip than my usual outdoor 5K pace (6:40).
All in all, I got a 21:08 time over a 5K distance. I was expecting about a 22 minute time, so a minute better had me feeling great about how it all went.
Here's my proof:
I know treadmills aren't the exact same as an outdoor race, but it does give you a decent indication on how you can perform under consistent conditions (temp stays the same, no wind, traction is the same, etc).
The kettlebell routines are paying off well in terms of getting me in 'race shape' without the high amounts of speed work that I get in the spring, summer, and fall.
The coffee must be helping out, too. :)
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Speaking of coffee, it was another Bulletproof cup of joe with the Jamaican blend of OG Royal Brewed in the BrewKup style. After a few weeks already of BP Coffee, I may never go back to my usual coffee. I really like the blend of butter into the coffee as well as some coconut oil.
The Royal Brewed BrewKups have a tremendous, gourmet taste. A premium cup of coffee is what it truly is.
Check out the BrewKup selections at http://tinyurl.com/kbcoffee
Ask me how to become an independent distributor to be able to share these great coffees with your friends, family, and neighbors. It's the coffee that pays. If you want your coffee to give you an opportunity to earn extra money in your spare 'coffee time', OG has a great opportunity for you!
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Swing & Sip!
Coach Rick
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