Race Preview: The 2011 Summer Night 5km (London, On)

So, the day is nearly here. Tomorrow night I'll be running in my first edition of the Summer Night 5km hosted by London Honda and Runners' Choice at the Barking Frog in London, Ontario.

I was at the race last year as a spectator and was able to have a few beers with a good friend of mine as we watched the runners take off and arrive just in front of the Barking Frog patio. At that time we had decided that we would run the race next year, and here I am, 12 months later and I'll be toeing the line looking for a top 10 finish. Sadly my friend won't be joining me this year, but maybe next year?

It's actually rather fitting that I jump into this race as it was at this race last year that I reconnected with my then old Mustangs teammate Steve Weiler, who is now my coach (for the London Runner Distance Club). If it wasn't for me taking those first steps (towards meeting Steve that night), most of what I've accomplished athletically since then would not have taken place. And so I take this moment to thank myself. :D

Anyways, the race goes down tomorrow night at 7PM and I'm a little worried about a few things:

• The temperature is supposed to reach a scorching 32C on Friday, this could be a factor, but I'll try and ignore it as much as possible. Battling the heat in a 5km is purely mental.
• It's a challenging course in that the first 1km is downhill, and the last 1km is uphill (it's an out and back loop). This poses some pacing challenges and I've been told the course isn't exactly favorable for PBs for this reason alone. Should I revise my goal of dipping below 16:40 and a new lifetime PB?
• I will be working all day at the office, only to get home by 5PM and then make it out to the race for 6PM. The last time I ran after a day at the office was last week, and that did NOT go well.

This is the last race of my competitive summer/track season and I want to finish off in style. I want a good solid effort under my belt, one in which I feel strong and can be competitive. I also want a personal best, or at least a seasonal best. With that in mind, I've set some goals for my race tomorrow:

• Crack 16:40 for 5km.
• Place top 10 Overall (top 3 in my AG)
• Finish Strong in the uphill finish.
• Have Fun.
• Drink beer and eat burgs.