New 5km PR!

I haven't raced since the 20km in Russia, so I've been itching to go fast. My coach and I decided that a 5km would be perfect for me to race 2 weeks before the Olympic Trials. I decided to compete in the USA Track & Field Pacific Association Masters Championships at Los Gatos High School (I can't believe I'm a masters athlete!!! Masters are men aged 35+ and women 30+...yikes!) I didn't really know what to expect since a) I haven't raced a 5km since 2002, b) I haven't raced fast since I was a junior with a previous personal best of 23:15, and c) I was pretty sure the field of racewalkers was going to be sparse. Sure enough, I show up and I bump into one other walker, Kelly Wong, who would be racing as well. By the race start, there were 3 men and 3 women.

Earlier that morning, I decided I wanted to break 23 minutes, which meant that I had to walk roughly 4:36 per kilometer (translates to a 7:24 mile). With this pack, though, I didn't think I was going to be pushed, so it was up to me to stay on pace each lap. On the first lap, however, Kelly took the initiative mid lap to pass me and push the pace. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to hold that pace and fell back by the 2nd lap. Again, it was just me vs. the watch, and my coach was at the finish line taking each split. I was pretty consistent during the first 3 km, but then I started to falter just a bit the last 2 km. By the last 200 meters, I was on pace to finish right at 23:00, but I didn't want to take any chances. I picked up the last 200 meters to get me in at 22:57, breaking 23 minutes and establishing my new personal record since 1992! It was a great feeling and I definitely needed that to reinforce my confidence leading up to the Olympic Trials!