My First 5K Race Wasn’t What I Expected

Let's change pace for a minute... Running!

I started taking my running seriously again about 14 weeks ago. Structured training, 5 runs a week, plus a strength workout with a running coach on most weeks. Trying to do everything right this time.

My target is to beat my personal bests from ~10 years ago. A mid-life crisis motivation to prove to myself that I’m not that old yet and that I haven’t reached my peak yet. That there is still capacity for improvement and personal records.

Got a Garmin watch, signed up for a bunch of races, and let my life be consumed by this running hobby. LFG!

Pink Run HK 2025 — 5K

So… for the first race of this season, I started with a humble 5K. I was targeting sub-25 minutes. Reasonable, challenging, but achievable. I’ve been getting close to that on my training runs, so there was a good chance of hitting that target.

But hooo boy, I should have checked the route and its elevation profile first. Super steep uphill for the first 1.5K, then on the way down — a narrow path with stairs(!), so I could not make up the lost time.

It was half-road half-trail run rather than a proper street race.

So, yeah, I did not complete it in under 25 minutes. Womp womp.

I’m dealing with some disappointment but at the same time I know I should not beat myself up too much. Difficult terrain, hot weather (still!), and those damn stairs — if there was ever an excuse, this is a good one.

Yet, I have to ask myself — did I give it my best? Or was I still holding back? It’s really hard to say! On one hand, the first 1.5K, which was mostly on a steep incline (100m elevation gain!), took so much wind out of my sails. At the finish line I felt like I was about to puke. Wanted to run harder in the last meters, but I knew that would push me beyond my limit.

On the other hand, I recovered really quickly. 30 minutes later I barely felt that I raced just a while earlier. Maybe I could have pushed more, especially in the mid section.

Still, when the watch asked me to rate my effort when saving the activity, I said 9 out of 10. Almost all out.

What have I learned from this race? Hills are my weakness. I’m surprised that Garmin plans don’t give any hill workouts. That’s a huge miss!

And I really need to remember to familiarize myself with the course beforehand to adjust my expectations and pacing strategy accordingly.

Morning routine before the race was pretty spot on. Woke up at 7 am. 7–7:45 spent on regular morning stuff, including breakfast: coffee, onigiri, and honey toast. Race start was at 10:30 and I did not feel any stomach problems or side stitches. Good job there.

I’m also grateful for wife’s support. It’s so nice to have someone wait for me at the finish line.

Off to the next one!