TB3K

Just 16 hours or so after finishing the 4 miler, I lined up to run this months edition of the Tidal Basin 3K. I have been running 3K's every night around my neighborhood for the last couple of weeks (training, what a concept) so I had some hope of a respectable time. Unfortunately, the race the evening before took the starch out of my legs and I just didn't have it this day.

My heart rate was already 150 when I crossed the first bridge, only 1/2 mile into the race. I was running about 10 minute pace. I must have been thinking I was running that 1 mile race from the week before. :) But no, this was a 3K so I had to slow down if I wanted to finish. I took my first of 4 walk breaks after 1K. To my credit (I guess), I didn't start any of my walk breaks with a heart rate of 151 or less. So I really did need the breaks when I took them. I generally started running again when my heart rate got down to the mid 130's. I probably could have run a little sooner but so be it.

I had no one around me during the 2nd half of the race so I was competing solely with the clock. The clock won. I finished in 21:52...about 30 seconds slower than my last 2 3K's on this course. My average heart rate was 144...nearly the same as the 1 mile race the previous week. My max heart rate was 157 at the finish.