Flat Out 5K Race Preview

There are two April/May 5Ks are both solid courses to lay down PBs; but the knock on the Flat Out is that often it's a bit chillier, and in 2018, 2019 and 2021 were all real effing windy.

The course itself, it's largely flat/gentle rolling terrain. I've posted the elevation map below, pretty steady. I’ve outlined a specific area I’ll speak to below.

Start to 1KM:

You start out on Aberdeen Avenue, in front of the old Princess Auto. The first 500M is a slight incline, but with the rush of the start and focus on trying to find a clear running lane you won't even notice much of this portion until you take Turn 1 by Winners.

Once you pass by Winners and start taking that gradual turn, you hit a decline to the end of the first KM. With the excitement of the start, and ending the first KM on a decline, it's safe to run 2-5 seconds per KM faster than your goal. Take advantage of the extra speed with race pace effort when you can get it.

This first KM it is critical to get to that target pace fast. You want to be quick to pace, but remain in control. Only take those extra seconds when you don't need to force them on the course.

1KM to 2KM:

The 2nd KM starts before Turn 2 on the course. This portion of the course is the best stretch. Most of this KM is a decline that starts here. The race has started to spread out a bit, and you can really hit your rhythm on this one. You will still be a little fast here, but should be easy to remain in control. Hopefully at this point you are starting to pick off people who went out a little fast.

2KM to 3KM:

This is the worst stretch of this race. First off, it’s the largest net elevation gain over a KM on the course. It is gradual throughout most of the KM, but is steepest as you take turn 4 back onto Aberdeen. Second, the biggest factor is that there tends to be a head wind for this section. Anyone who did it in 2018, 2019 and 2021 will undoubtedly remember the painful memory of the wind hitting you when you take Turn 3 by Snow’s Lane onto the Boston Pizza-side straightaway.

This is the KM that will make or break your target on a good day, but it will really be a grind if there is any headwind. Key is to hold your rhythm/cadence, hopefully you'll only fall 5-10 seconds/km slower than target pace naturally, again, keep the race effort. If you force it too much, you won’t have anything for the last two KM where you can get some of this back.

Here is the difference in overall pace vs. this KM for me from the last three races:

Good news is, as you peak and take Turn 4, the wind will die off and the incline lessens. Use this stretch to the end of the KM to get your breath and regroup mentally. Hard part is done, let's focus on the finish.

3KM to 4KM:

This KM is similar to the first, it starts right around Laz-E-Boy. It’s similar to the first except you have more decline since it starts further up the road. The back half of this KM will be fast. This is the Go-Zone for this race, where you really start attacking the course. Your intensity should come up here, and combined with favorable elevation you need to own this KM. Mentally you are battling back from a demoralizing 3rd KM, but this is where we build the positivity we need for a strong finish.

Focus internally on your goal and your intensity, and externally on the person in front of you, close on them with each step to keep you motivated or find visual markers. Once you pass the person or the point, find a new one. As you take Turn 2 for the second time, you’ll hit the last KM.

4KM to Finish:

This KM will begin on Turn 2, and take in the best stretch of the course again - the back side of Stavanger between Turn 2 and 3 is great running as long as the wind is in your favor.

The down side to the finish is that as we hit Turn 3, with about 300 left, we are back onto that worst section. When you take Turn 3, begin your final drive to the line. This is where you make sure you leave everything on the course. This is where you’d leave it all out there if you are close to the goal. Empty the tank on this last stretch. You can see the clock about 125M out, go for it!

Summary

This is a good course, weather is the biggest obstacle - but you are prepared to go out and give it a damn good effort.

I’ve spoken to my group a lot about an A and a B race. If you have a 5K Goal, Mundy Pond is definitely the A race, but if the weather agrees and you feel good, so for the goal on this course because you never know what Mundy Pond will be like in a week. Take advantage of the weather you have at the moment because it’s tough to bank on favorable race weather in this Province. An A Race is the one that you really empty the tank on.

Hope this helps, good luck on Sunday!

RACE STRATEGY:

1) Run the Tangents - Run the straightest line possible. Not hard to do on this route because it's basically all right hand turns. Hug those curbs and don't trail out to the center of the road.

2) Pass with Authority - As I mentioned in the breakdown, slowly close in on people, especially later in the race. Focus on closing that distance, when it's time to pass, hang just behind them for a moment, recover, then push past them like it's easy for you. This will give you motivation and a boost... and hopefully crush the spirit of the person you passed:)

3) Surge Early - Don't be afraid to take advantage of the course and put some little surges into your run to gain you some seconds here and there.

4) Never Look Back - Don't look back for other racers. This throws your body out of alignment, and takes you out of your stride. If you need to take a peak, wait for one of the 4 turns, where you can reduce your head movement and sneak it in.

5) Attack the Corners - This course has 4 well defined curves. Most people naturally slow as they take turns, take advantage of this and push through the turns - surge in, through, and out of those corners. This is something I've always found beneficial and just mentally gives me a boost.