Carlsbad 5000: All Day 20K

An "all day 20K" sounds long. All day? It is a test of endurance, though packed into short bursts of four 5K races. The Carlsbad 5000 attracts many runners, because of it's relatively flat and fast course in downtown, you guessed it, Carlsbad, CA. Each 5K was divided into the following groups:

Masters and Men over 40
Masters and Women over 40
Ages 20-29
Ages 30-39

So guess what the all day 20Kers did? 

We committed to all four races.

As soon as I heard about the 20K, my hand gravitated towards the "REGISTER" button. This would be a cool challenge, and if I was going to make the trek to San Diego, I might as well run four races instead of one, right? 

Plus, another question I had for myself was, would this be more difficult or easier than a half marathon? I had to find out. My hunch was this would be easier, because I had at least 30 minutes break between each race. But, 5Ks tend to be fast, so perhaps I would burn through more sugary carbs, and use more fast twitch muscles, yet need to rely on the endurance muscles to...endure this four times? 

The first race started at 6:55 am, which meant wake up was 4 am. It was chilly out, dark, and my first thought was, "Well...at least some people wake up at this hour." My mom kindly agreed to come along and be my cheerleader, photographer, and elite runner sidekick oogler. I opted for VIP parking, which cut down on the stress and time weaving through the road-closed downtown area. Totally worth it. 

The infamous row of Port-o-Potties

Because the course crossed the railroad tracks, the start times had to be adjusted with the train schedule. So a tad after 7 am, we were off! The majority of the runners were men over 40, and I definitely got passed up by guys twice my age. Like I said, this race attracts the speedsters!


The front of the pack looking very...speedy

I knew I had 3 more races to run, so I tried to pace ultra conservatively and not get too carried away with the speed of the others. Closed out the first mile in 8:49. A bit on the fast side for my strategy. 
I ended up hanging in there and pushing it and finishing in 28:20.

Pretty stoked, a little red, and already onto water bottle #2
I was feeling pretty good, and ready to take on the race #2, which was supposed to start around 8:12 but got pushed back to 8:26. Again, train schedule. I had grabbed some fruit and snacks at the finish line but wasn't hungry. Instead, I popped an energy gummy that tasted like a watered-down, jello'ed version of the Starburst candy. Hopefully it'd deliver some sugars to my muscles fast.

Race #2 with the Women's division felt better! Either because I had "warmed up" or was just enjoying running in mostly feminine energy. I finished in 29:45. Now, I was starting to feel hungry.

Eating anything I could get my hands on


The ladies taking off - I am not pictured because I was not in the  5 minute per mile corral :)

For race #3, I was starting to feel a bit fatigued. Wasn't sure if it was more mental than physical. I had been in "race mode" since 7 am, and it was now 9 am. If I were running a half marathon, I'd be nearing the finish line at this time.

But - the all day 20K was only half over. Race #3 slated to start at 9:26 am. I spend the time waiting and digesting several crackers and a blood orange. 

Originally, my goal was to run all four races under 30 minutes. Seemed reasonable at first, but going after how I felt, I changed it to just run all of them nonstop. No walking. That's one thing endurance running has taught me. Be adaptable. 

I ran it in 31:37. 

Ok, more like ran-jogged. My legs were starting to feel like steel. Not in the power way, but the weight way. 

Yug.

So my finishing picture after race #3 is more of a starting energy for race #4. I got this!!!!!



By 10:30, the final race was off. Three and a half hours after the initial race. 

We ran the same course, so this time around it was like running in auto pilot. Oddly enough, it didn't seem long, as repetition can make things, at least mentally, seem much longer. In fact, it felt faster than the first race, even though I know I "snailed" out on this one. 

Non-stop running got me a finish time of 32:29 for the fourth and final leg.

I was glad to be done. Didn't have much more energy to do another 5K. 

However, it did make for some pretty data: 


I was ready to now be a spectator and watch some of the elite races that followed us. It was awe inspiring to see these runners clocking in 13, 14, 15 minute 5Ks. 

Stride length goals, among many others

Awesome!

I left the race physically tired, but mentally refreshed and inspired...hey that rhymed!

Was it easier than a half marathon? No way. I thought the waiting times between the races would be an advantage, but it feels like getting the miles done in one go is easier, provided you pace yourself well in the beginning.











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