This is my first five-mile race. One year ago, I couldn't even run around the block. We ran a 5K last fall, but now we're stepping up to longer distances. To make this food related, I started my morning with my favorite breakfast: whole-wheat toast with organic peanut butter, flaxmeal and banana. Also, I only started running so I can eat more, so that's the tie in.
We got to the race around 7 a.m. without any incident. Traffic was nonexistent and parking was plentiful and free. There weren't any lines at the port-a-potties or registration. We picked up our packets the day before, but had to exchange our giant T-shirts for smaller sizes. Even with a size small, I was swimming in these tech shirts. They need smaller sizes because I'm not exactly petite and tech shirts should be fitted.
The race began on-time at 7:30 a.m. and the route was clearly marked. And holy hills, there were quite a few. I hit my version of a good pace pretty quickly and didn't have to fight a ton of people, since it was field of only about 500. The timings at the splits were clearly marked and I hit at 9ish, 18ish, 27ish and then 37ish. There were four water and gatorade stations along the way, which was great, but we had fantastic weather with a nice breeze, so I didn't feel like I needed to suck down water like my life depended on it.
The last mile was rather brutal for me. There was an uphill portion and I was trying to haul ass to maintain a nine-minute pace for my finish. Alas, I had to stop and suck in some air before heading to the finish line. My clock time was 45:55, so I was pretty happy with that.
There wer
I wish we would have stayed, because it turns out Tim won his age group! My champion finished in 41:24. I'm in the presence of greatness.
Price: $29
Time: 45:25
Swag: Technical shirt, items available from vendors post-race
Pros: Great volunteer support, easy parking and traffic, no crowds/lines, well-marked course
Cons: Gigantically sized T-shirts, inaccurate timing, "rolling" course with potholes, not a lot going on post race
Would I go again: Yes
1 comment:
If I were you, I would save and proudly display those sub-5 minute miles! Great race, though. Did you get a Buffalo Wild Wings towel? They were all out by the time I got there, sadly.
I'm wondering if I can cut the sleeves off (or shorter at least) of my t-shirt to make it more wearable.
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