ieve's Squall of Consciousness

Entry 10 - In which ieve runs 5 thousand meters

(Jan 15 2026)

I started running in November after approx 21 years of not-running. I did cross country in my first year of high school ... I didn't hate it but I was also disinterested in everything, and once I got yelled at enough times for screwing around, I elected not to do it again the next year and never really did much of any physical exercise for the next 21 years. (Not because of the yelling, just ... was more interested in vidja games and then whatever came next.)

But now I decided I want to be skrong and have an active lifestyle and be able to do cool things ... so started running. Tiny little bits at first - running 30 seconds and then walking 30 minutes. Then a little bit more at a time. Apparently I'm an old man now (at 35 lol) and my musculoskeletal system is absolutely the limiting factor in how long I can run - calves are the gas.

But read and watched youtube videos (Steve Magness) and fixed my gait (landing more under my body weight rather than feet way out in front of me, increased steps per minute / cadence), started strength training a few times a week, hitting protein goals (JFC 130-150g per day is difficult...) and voila, knees stopped hurting while running (until my muscles got tired anyway).

I needed a goal to work toward, so I signed up for a 5k race in January. I had about a month and a half to train for my endeavor.

Did run/walk intervals and a really slow "zone 2" shuffle for that month and a half, slowly building myself up toward being able to hit three miles distance. My cardio system, at that slow pace, feels like it could go forever ... but without the walking intervals, and capped at some maximum time of getting thrashed by pavement impact, my stabilizer muscles would get tired and then my knees would start feeling weird and I would stop, because I really, really don't want to hurt myself.

And then after a taper / down period of ~1.5 weeks, came the moment of truth. Race day.

It was a brisk morning by southern california standards, in the low 40F's (about 6C). For logistical reasons of not checking any gear, and not having anyone with me, I left my sweater and my hat in the car and walked the ~25 minutes from the parking lot over to the race start. Body warmed up but hands were numb from the cold. And of course, nervous. But pretty soon I was in a parade of people walking from the parking lots toward the race and was at least surrounded by some excited chatter and other people freezing their butts off.

The 10k and half marathoners were all at the start line ready to go. It's tough to estimate because it was a huge blob of people taking up a couple lanes of shut-down road, but there were ~700 people in the 5k and that seemed similar, so probably another ~700 in the 10k/half marathon. They go and then it's our turn.

I almost forget to set my workout on my watch - I have a plan and plan to run exactly to plan, except where the plan ends and the plan is just "send it."

3x Run 5 / Walk 1 @ ~13 min/mile
2x Run 4 / Walk 1 @ ~12 min/mile

(At this point I should have completed about 2 of the 3.1 miles)

Unrestricted to finish line

It's both easier and more difficult to run in a big race like that - there are so many people that I need to consider logistics of passing. 'I have a walk break in 30 seconds so if I pass now I'm just going to end up stopping in front of them, so I guess I'll just slow down on pace...'

But on the other hand, the energy of race day and having so many people around made it easier to run at a quicker pace that I would if I were just alone with my thoughts.

At about one mile into the race the leaders are already heading the other way - A 15 year old kid is leading the pack, zooming along, huffing and puffing.

I'm well within my zone 2 pace, just trying to keep my calves in the game for the entire race, so I'm at the opposite end of the cardio spectrum - I could be having a chat, if I had anyone with me to chat with.

The end of mile 2 comes, my last 1 minute walk break is finished, and it's time to go. I saved everything in the tank, cardio, willpower, muscles, for this moment. I start zooming - I've only practiced this "unrestricted" pace after 2 miles of slow run one time so I actually have no idea what pace to run to keep myself alive across the finish line, but I'm passing people, feeling good.

But then ... right at the end of the 5k route, the half marathon route merges in. They'll run past the finish line, up the bay and back. Right at this moment, a couple of the rabbit-people leading the half marathon pack are coming through _quick_. I'm in zoomie mode, I see people zooming, so I decide I'll just follow them and keep pace.

Ah, hubris. I keep up for maybe 20 seconds before I'm gassed - lactic acid filling my blood, nausea building. (They're at like, mile 8! I'm at mile 2.5! And they're running faster than I can with everything saved.)

Now I'm in a pickle - I'm so nauseous and exhausted and am thinking I'm going to have to walk, there's no way I can sustain this. Mile 3.0. Fuck, how far is 0.1 mile?

Luckily right then I could see the finish line and that was just enough to distract me / get me to push across the finish. There are so many people that the race announcer guy is just firing off first names as fast as he can. And I'm done with an exclamation of "ieve!!!".

I manage to not throw up, obtain my banana and tiny cup of mystery electrolyte beverage, my (actually kinda fancy) medal, stand around for a minute, and start the 25 minute walk back to my car. The walkway along the bay was also the half marathon route ... there's a family camped along the path to cheer their person on, but they're also cheering everyone who goes by on. Guy checks my bib, sees I'm walking back after 5k, and give me a "Nice job!!" and a high five anyway. Thanks man.

I finished 324th overall, and 50/70 in my gender+age bracket. But... in some way I actually finished first, in the lineup of

1. Current universe me, who ran a 33.5 minute time

2. Stretch goal me, who ran a 35 minute time

3. Bare minimum time me, who ran a 40 minute time

4. Old me, who didn't run at all.

And ... welp now I'm signed up for a sprint triathlon in May, so I better learn to swim...

- 🜌

Back to Squall of Consciousness Index