2019 South Davis Recreation Center Handcart Days 5K Race Recap - Bountiful, UT

Official Time: 25:41
Placement: 39th male, 2nd in the 45 - 49 age group
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: Low 70's and warm, no wind
Garmin Dump: Forgot it
Previous Years: [2018] [2017] [2015] [2012]

Introduction

6 - 8 weeks ago I decided in my infinite wisdom to sign up for a half marathon -- in the middle of summer.  At the time that I signed up the summer wasn't that bad.  The highs for the day were around 82 and for a Utah summer, it was very mild. 

Unfortunately it didn't stay that way and summer became just that, summer.  So with about a week to go before the race and with temperatures hitting the mid 90's on a daily basis, I opted to switch to the 5 -- despite a mildly bruised ego.

The race director happily switched me over at no additional headache or cost.  I was pretty happy with my decision when I saw race weather showing around the low 70's for the start.  I haven't been getting in as many miles as I should for a half and I don't think I am quite heat acclimated just yet.

The Race

I rolled into the South Davis Recreation Center just as the half marathon was starting off (6 AM).  They had in the low 100 runners and I watched them head on out with just a tiny bit of regret.  I grabbed my bib in short order and began a warm-up.

Unfortunately they were out of my shirts, so apparently they are going to mail me one.  Bummer.  It looked like a good one this year too.

My warm-ups went well and I felt like I had a shot at a decent race.  It was warm and I was on a light mileage week so my legs weren't too beat up feeling.  I was ready to run fast -- I had my fast 5K shoes on and despite the warmth it was a fairly decent day for a 5K.  

Photo of the west side of Bountiful where I'd be running in about 30 minutes

It was during the warm-up that I realized I had forgotten my Garmin.  Argh.  I hate that because it screws up everything.  I had some thoughts about using my phone to track my run, but my phone these days is a fairly large one and the last thing I wanted to do was lug around a heavy phone.

The race started promptly at 7 AM and we were off.  I was hemmed in at the start but within a few hundreds yards I was off.  People were jockeying for position and soon enough I had settled into a pace... not sure what it was but I felt like it was aggressively.

I remember the first 1.5 miles or so as we ran down one of the main drags in Bountiful was mostly working with a young boy who ran about 100 - 200 yards hard and then would stop and tie his shoe or walk for a bit.  I'd thought I have left him in the dust when he came flying by me again.  It was until about half way through the race that I finally got some peace.... 

I was hurting at this point and I sensed that this wasn't going to be my race.  My legs just felt a little heavier and I felt like I wasn't getting enough air.  At about the 1.25 mile mark you also start a steady ascent back to the start.  I've written about it before -- it isn't a crazy uphill but just a death by a 1000 cuts.  

By the time I got to the aid station (at about mile 1.60 or so as memory serves) I knew the final stretch was going to hurt.  As I made my way south on Main Street I counted back the numbers of times I've run this stretch and how almost always I've suffered through it.  I am so close to the finish line yet so far away.

It was demoralizing being passed by the speedy half marathoners.  They had had an hour head start and the ones finishing in the sub 1:30 range fly by me.  Here I was racing my guts out at mile 2 or so and they were on mile 12 and they darted past me like nothing.

I dug deep and I just keep pressing.  I felt like I was going to puke and fortunately no one was behind me for quite some time.  

Finally I reached the summit of the hill and knowing there was less than a quarter of a mile left, I pushed with whatever I had left.  Thinking back I don't remember much about this segment of the race other than it felt so hard and painful.

The finish line finally came and as I crossed I couldn't tell if I had finished in 25:13 or slower... but I wasn't too surprised with my time.

Conclusion

I walked off the light headed feeling and was kind of dejected as I thought about my time.  25 and change.  Ugh, not the race I wanted.

I grabbed my finisher's medal and went over and got some Gatorade.  I reviewed the race with a few people but I only knew a handful of people there.

In the past it's taken them a while to do results and today it was no different.  Sadly it took nearly 2 hours to get the awards handed out.  On the plus side, though, there was a pancake breakfast and plenty of food.

It also took a while to simply find my time and placement.  But I was in no rush and had plenty of time.

I was excited to see that I finished 2nd in my age group.  They had some pretty slick awards and all said and told, I definitely got my money's worth.  I paid $30 and got a premium medal, shirt, refreshments, and breakfast.  Quite a deal.

I reviewed my time from last year and yes, I was slower.  But I appeared to have struggled last year too.  So given the time of year, this is probably not an ideal time to race for me.

This race was a painful reminder that 5Ks are tough.  Yes, the distance is not very intimidating, it is the pace of the race.  From the outset, it is rough going and really a test of fortitude (at least for me) and mental strength to keep pushing the pace even though you start feeling hazy, pukey and jelly-legged.

This course is definitely a test one too, since I've run it at least a dozen times, so it is a good fitness indicator.  It also means that I need to work on my speed endurance in the near future to reverse my time's directions.

2019 Farmington Festival Days 10K Race Recap - Farmington, UT

Official Time: 55:01
Placement: 38th place overall, 22nd male, 4th in the 40 - 49
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: Lower 80's, overcast with slight wind from north.
Garmin Dump: Here (Garmin somehow quit recording my location)
Previous Years: [2018] [2012]

Mile	Time	Comments
1	9:15	First half mile or so is up hill.
2	8:35	Nice stretch here where I could get some speed going. Some downhills
3	8:55	Hot out and it is wearing on me now
4	8:58	Trying to hang in there
5	9:26	Lots of turns and curves here.  I was pretty cooked at this point
6	9:18	Mustered up a bit of a rebound but I was pretty gassed.
6.06	0:35
	Total Miles: 6.06 - 55:01

Introduction

This weekend tends to be fairly light as far as races go.  I think there is a lull between the 4th of July and Utah's state holiday: Pioneer Day.

One of the races that I like to do is the Farmington Festival Days.  Farmington is located about 20 minutes north of Salt Lake City and is in the heart of Davis County.  They celebrate their town's history this weekend and like most summer time celebrations they tie a run to it. 

In the past, they've held a half marathon but recently they just offer a 5K and 10K.  It comes in at an affordable price and it is hard to pass up.

The Race

I rolled into the race at about 6:15 and grabbed my bib and shirt.  I was one of the first ones there so it was easy in and easy out. 

I wound up doing about a mile warm-up before the race and it felt tough.  The air seemed oppressive and muggy.  While it wasn't mid-western humid, it just felt heavy.  My warm-up didn't instill much confidence in me and I still felt half-asleep when I started to toe the line for the 7 AM start.

The race started on time and almost immediately you are greeted by a hill.  The hill lasts about a third or a half of a mile.  So much for getting off to a good start.

I was patient and took my time.  Finally, after rounding a corner the race starts to go flat and in fact you get the downhill.

At this point of the race you are running down Main Street in the bike lane.  Traffic at that hour is pretty light and the course was well marshaled.

Just after the mile marker, the 5K runners hang a right and the 10Kers continue down Main Street.  In a way, I wished I had been running the 5K as I was already hurting.  My legs just weren't responding and I was warm.  However, a 9 minute mile is just way too slow and I know I would've been frustrated running that for my initial mile in a 5K.

We got a bit of downhill into a residential section after mile 2 and I felt my spirits rise a bit. 

After running through the downhill section we are dumped out near I-15.  I was dying for a drink but in the first 2.5 miles -- nothing. 

At this point too we rejoined with the slower 5K runners.  Unfortunately they were walking / running 3-abreast on the tiny bike trail.  It wasn't too hard to navigate through them though. 

Close to mile 4 or so, the 5K runners hung a right to make their final push to the finish, while I continued to hit the Farmington Bike Trail. 

The trail is your standard-issue bike trail but it is heavily shrouded in trees.  It is actually quite pleasant.  You also get to take a few sneak peeks at the Lagoon Amusement park's animals.

I was hurting at this point and was trying to keep my pace going.  I had resigned myself that this wasn't my race but I hoped to beat last year's time (about 53:50). 

I couldn't gain much ground here on account of all the turns and also I just didn't have a lot to give.  I felt pukey and I felt like I was running on fumes.  I wasn't too surprised to see a 9 minute mile flash on my Garmin.

The last mile took me out of the bike trail and back onto Main Street.  There were some rolling hills here and I was working on sticking with the few runners that I had been with for most of the race. 

I remembered from last year that the race was a bit short and I was thanking my lucky stars as we hung the final right hand turn towards the finish. 

I crossed the finish line just over 55 minutes. I just didn't have a lot to give on this one and was totally spent.

Conclusion

No medal on this one.  For a budget race you have to finish in your age group and I was 4th.  Kind of sad about that but I would've had to finish about 4 minutes faster to get into the hardware.

I grabbed a bottle of water at the finish and worked my way around congratulating people that had run with me.  Once my stomach had settled I grabbed a banana and sauntered back to my car to get my stuff and some Powerade.

One of the nice things about this race is you get a super nice french toast breakfast.  While I was eating the clouds finally let loose with a decent rain.  Why couldn't it have done that during the race????

Overall, I was pleased with my race experience.  The course was easy to follow and the Farmington police did a good job managing the traffic so I could run without car interference.

My performance however, not so good.  The heat got to me and to be honest, my heart really wasn't into running this morning.  It was just tough going the minute the air horn went off.

For $20 I got my money's worth.  The shirt is a tech-cotton one.  Pretty simple design and nothing fancy.  The race could've used another water stop. There were two water stops and given the temperature, another one would've been nice.

For the price, I'd definitely do this one again.

2019 Jurassic 5K Race Recap - Ogden UT

Official Time: 23:30
Placement: 19th overall, 1st in the 45 - 49
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: Mid 80's, slight wind from the east
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: New To Me

Mile	Time	Comments
1	8:24	First 100 yards my hamstring wasn't happy
2	8:42	Really struggled in this mile.  A bit of a headwind too.
2.73	6:23	Lots of turns here
	Total Miles: 2.73 - 23:30

Introduction

I am not sure what possessed me to once again do two races in one day, but I suppose I like the nature of the challenge.  I had signed up for this race sort of on a whim:  the medal was cool, it was at a park I've wanted to check out for a while, and it was something new.  The morning race was done mostly because it was close to my house and cheap.

I didn't quite think it through though on account that after finishing the first race, I sort of hung around the house all day waiting for the second.  I didn't want to wear myself, so going for a hike or spending an inordinate amount of time on my feet was out of the question.

So I was more or less climbing the walls the moment I finished my first race in the morning.

The Race

I left Salt Lake around 6 PM to make it to Ogden (an hour away) and arrived at the George S. Eccles Dinosaur Park.  This park is mostly known for having a ton of life-like dinosaur monuments in a family-style atmosphere.  The appeal of the race is you get to run the grounds of the park as well as the Ogden bike trail (which also follows a bit of the Ogden Marathon route).

This race is also a night race, starting at 8 PM.  The summer temperatures are finally reaching normal here and it was a balmy 90 degrees when we got there.  By the time the race started it was 85F and the sun was just starting to sink.

Getting there early gave me some time to explore the park and take some pictures of the dinosaurs.

The race was definitely a winner for OnHillEvents.com.  They had a ton of runners and many children in attendance.  It would be tough running though as the was started on a small bike trail.  Fortunately, there weren't that many super serious runners there and it primarily appealed to families.

So when the race started at 8 PM, it was a bit of a mess getting going.  Fortunately, I had managed to sneak my way up into the front area (and it was chip timed) and I got off to a decent start.

Almost right away my hamstring tightened up.  Big time.  It freaking hurt and it was similar to the injury I had in April that sidelined me for nearly 2 months.  By 200 yards I was wondering if I should bail on the race and not risk hurting it even more.

I decided to hang in there and I dropped my pace considerably.  I had warmed up before the race, but for the last month or so, my hamstring has reminded me that it isn't quite 100%.

After a brief run in the park we were deposited to the bike trail where we ran west for a while.  It was surprisingly hilly -- nothing killer, but definitely not flat.  My hamstring had dwindled down to a low roar and I'll be honest, I was still pretty beat from the morning's 5K.  I was just tired and I wasn't too surprised to see the first mile come in over 8 minutes.

After mile 1 we did a loop and started coming back towards the park.  It was fun seeing the people I had left behind and getting encouragement from the runners / walkers.  Once I reached the park's gates again, I passed by it to continue the next out and back section.

I was working with a few people here, mostly younger folks, but it was lonesome running.  I accepted the fact that my hamstring was questionable with every step but I held on.  I didn't see a lot of people behind me and the front runners definitely weren't in my age group, so I held back a little more.

The stretch back to the park had a nice tail wind and I started to pick up the pace a bit after the 2nd mile.  I was a little worried about how I'd find my way around the park's grounds since I was more or less running solo.  No one was behind me and the next person in front of me was quite a ways away.

Fortunately, the race organized had roped off areas you weren't supposed to run in and had put spray chalk arrows.  I had zero problems finding my way around the park or knowing where to go.

I couldn't really get to full speed, however, in the park.  There were a ton of turns and the lighting had gone down a bit.  I kept looking at my watch and I only had about half a mile to go when all of the sudden the finish line appeared.

I crossed under it with a time of 23:30 but with a distance of  2.73.  Huh?

Conclusion

My hamstring was tight but not super painful when I crossed.  It hadn't gotten any worse after the initial shock of not being happy with me.

I was pretty shot though, after my second race.  I started checking in with other people and they too found the race was short.

The race director commented on it that he had measured the course and that there were several turns in the park's tight confines that may throw one's GPS off.  Given my time, I suspect that 2.73 was a bit short and the race was likely in the 2.9 race.  Hard to say without mapping it on MapMyRun.Com.

The medals were beautiful.  To be honest, it was about half the reason why I signed up for the race.  I managed to snag first place in my age group.

Post race refreshments included Fat Boy ice cream sandwiches and sports drink.  I had brought my own beverage so I didn't really grab that many.

Course markings were great and I really had a good time.  It was nice to see a lot of friends, both new and old at the race and it was also awesome seeing families having a good time together.

The price of the race, for me, was over $45.  Kind of expensive for a 5K but I registered fairly late in the game and I paid for an upgraded shirt.  I loved the finisher's medal was heavy duty and I loved seeing the park.  The grounds were truly awesome and I wish I had had more time to read the informational placards.

My suspicion is the race is short.  I was only running at about 80% and my time was quite a bit better than the morning's run.

This Month in Running June

Miles to Date: 824

Running Updates

Well, I am finally injury free.  It took most of April and part of May, but I am running at 100% now.  I did have to drop out of the Reno Half Marathon.  I had the hotel and trip all planned, but a few days before the race I dropped to the 10K.  I went for a training run 3 days before the race and I was hurting.  I wasn't really willing to drive 7.5 hours to Reno to walk through a race.  Fortunately that was the last race I bailed on.

I've been logging anywhere between 25 and 45 miles a week.  It all depends if I do my long run.  A few weeks ago as of this writing (6/29) I ran a 15 miler at a decent clip, so my endurance is coming back.  Do I have marathon dreams for this fall?  Potentially.  If the pieces come together and my motivation is there, I'll jump into one, otherwise I'll live if I don't do one in 2019.

I have definitely taken a hit with my half marathon race performance.  They just seem a LOT tougher this year.  I am not sure what is behind it, but the last few have been rough experiences.  I don't think it is a lack of training, but I suspect I am still trying to run them too fast and I wind up crashing and burning around mile 6.

We've been fortunate to have a mild start to summer, so I can still run in the afternoon, but as June is turning into July, the temperature has been rising.  I've been doing some heat acclimation training to help out, as I seem to have adjusted well when I spent last summer in Phoenix.

I am just happy to be running and racing again.

Upcoming Races

06/29: 2019 Jurassic Run 5K - Ogden, UT (Confirmed)
07/13: 2019 Farmington Festival Days 10K - Farmington, UT (Confirmed)
07/20: 2019 Handcart Half Marathon - Bountiful, UT (Confirmed)
07/26: 2019 Legacy Midnight Run 10K - Farmington, UT (Confirmed)
11/17: 2019 Las Vegas Half Marathon - Las Vegas, NV (Confirmed)
01/19: 2020 Phoenix Rock n Roll Half Marathon - Phoenix, AZ(Confirmed)
04/18: 2020 Salt Lake City Half Marathon - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed)
05/16: 2020 Ogden Half Marathon - Ogden, UT (Confirmed)

2019 Taylorsville Dayzz 5K Race Recap - Taylorsville, UT

Official Time: 24:57
Placement: 43rd overall, 7th in the 40 - 49 age division, 31st male
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: Mid 60's Sunny, no wind.
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: New To Me

Mile	Time	Comments
1	7:52	Off to a decent start. Aggressive first mile
2	8:15	Paying the price for the first mile.
3	8:13	Counting down the quarter miles. Was dead in the last quarter though
3.09	0:37
	Total Miles: 3.09 - 24:57

Introduction

As I write this, I have a race planned for this evening.  A simple 5K.  It immediately begs the question, what am I going to do with myself until it is race time?  Let's face it, I can't go for a hike and I generally want to be outside, so doing another long run just doesn't make sense.  So what I did decide to do?  Well, run another 5K in the morning of course.

I found the Taylorsville 5K just down the road.  I've seen it every year and for some reason or another I don't sign up for it.  Maybe I felt like I had gone beyond 5Ks that they weren't showing up for.

But if I want to run faster, a good training mechanism is to do 5Ks.  They are a great mix of just enough endurance followed by pure speed.  It is almost pure pain from the get go.

The Race

The race starts early enough to avoid the following parade and hub bub of Taylorsville Dayzz.  A weekend celebration / carnival thing to celebrate the community.  I live right on the border of T-ville and so it was a short 4 mile trip to the race site.  

It was a 7 AM start time so I rolled in just after 6:15.  I never know what to expect from small races, so I try to plan for the worst and hope for the best.  Fortunately this race was run extremely well from start to finish.  Packet pickup was a snap and I was set to race in under 3 minutes.

During the time I used the bathrooms and did about a mile warmup.  I felt pretty good, but it was warm.  Carnivals are often the best race sites because they have a ton of bathrooms.  Also I was there early so parking was easy peasy.

The race started a few moments late but not a big deal.  The race is held at their community park.  I was really worried about all the turns and navigating the course.  Once again my fears were not realized.  The course had plenty of volunteers at the critical turning points.

The first mile I went out pretty hard.  Filled with confidence from last week's race, I wanted to do better and so I started off fairly aggressively.  I was hemmed in, in spots, but overall, within a few minutes I could run as fast or as slow as I wanted.

The course did a series of turns on the bike path that circled the city park.  It was flat and there were arrows and volunteers at the turning point.  I felt like my breathing was extremely labored, but my legs felt good.  I was wearing my racing flats, which gave me some additional confidence.  I hit my target pace of about 7:50 for the first mile, but I knew the screws were being tightened.

The second mile was a guy check.  There was one aid station that I bypassed.  Fortunately it wasn't too hot out and it was "only" a 5K.  There were a few tiny rises here but overall the course was pancake flat.

Mile 2 to 3 I was definitely feeling ragged, particularly in the latter half.  I got passed by about half a dozen people as my once stalwart form fell apart.  Again, I kept telling myself, hammer it -- it's only a 5K.  

At this point too we left the city park and were running down a suburban street. It was shaded and actually quite nice.  That only last about half a mile though before we re-entered the park and re-ran a small section of the first mile to loop back around to the starting line.

 

Holding back feeling kind of sick, I kicked it to the finish line, running in under 25 minutes for a legit, 5K course.

Conclusion

I was pretty happy with my result.  This is the first 5K in a while that came in right at the distance and it gave me a good barometer of where my fitness is.  I was using this as sort of an "A" race and was trying my hardest.

Unfortunately, I didn't place in my age group.  They had 10 year increments (boo!) and I would've placed or come close to placing in the age group before and behind me.  I kind of figured it was going to be a long shot on placing as the race was well attended (I heard about 300 runners were in attendance).

I paid just over $20 for the race -- about a week before the race.  Not a bad deal for a well managed 5K.  I got a decent swag bag as well plus a tech shirt plus a finisher's medal. 

Post race refreshments were bananas (lots of bananas), water, Gatorade, and chocolate milk.  There were also a ton of racers there that I knew, so afterwards it was part social event.

Sitting here typing this recap in, I feel really good about my race.  It wasn't a super fast race but I held on strong and felt good about what I did.  The 5K is definitely humbling -- the distance is relatively short but it is all about speed endurance -- one thing that I need to work on.

I'd definitely do this race again.

2019 Strawberry Days Guns and Hoses 5K Race Recap - Pleasant Grove, UT

Official Time: 24:36
Placement: 29th male, 32nd overall, 1st in the 45 - 49 age division
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: Mid 50's, very light wind from the north
Garmin Dump: Forgot Garmin
Previous Years: [2013]

Mile	Time	Comments
3.1	24:36	Forgot my Garmin
	Total Miles: 3.01 - 24:36

Introduction

It's been a while since I've stepped into the Guns and Hoses 5K in Pleasant Grove Utah.  In fact, when I signed up, I thought I had been there, maybe in 2015 or so, but it turns out it has been since 2013!

The race weekend was a little light for me.  There was a super expensive half marathon, which seemed to have the biggest draw and there were a handful of 5Ks around town.  But I found this one to be the cheapest and a good way to test my 5K speed.

The race also started early (7 AM) so by 5:45 I was out the door and headed south on I-15.

The Race

I got there in about 30 minutes and I think I was one of the first at the race start.  I was wondering if I had driven there on the wrong weekend because there were so few people.  I pretty much sauntered up to the race check-in area and got my shirt and bib. 

I warmed up with about an easy mile of running.  The race was held in the downtown area that was definitely older.  I spotted a few historical buildings and really old houses along my warm-up.

It was at this point that I forgot my Garmin.  It rattled me a bit.  I just felt like I was forgotten something.  In fact, instinctively throughout the race and my warm-up I was feeling for my Garmin.  I thought about downloading an app for my phone, but my phone is actually quite large these days and I really didn't want to be bogged down holding a phone.

I wasn't feeling too spry and was worried that this was going to be a sub-par race for.  Last time I didn't wear my Garmin I totally misjudged my pace.

The race started a few moments late, but no big deal.  It starts off in the middle of downtown and there wasn't much fanfare.  Just a huge gunshot or explosion and off you went.

The race starts with a gentle uphill.  The air seemed a bit thinner as well.  I live at 4300 feet of elevation, in Pleasant Grove it is 4600.  Probably mostly mental though.

I got off to a good start.  Again, I had no idea what pace I was running, I just knew that I wanted to go as strong as I could and was running by 100% feel. 

I was in my Saucony Fasttwich shoes, which made me feel light of food.  Any tiredness / sluggishness I was feeling at the start vanished.  It always does when the race gun goes off.

There were no mile markers on the course but I had vague relocations on where the course ran from last time.  I remember the cemetery and some of the residential areas.  It is sort of amazing that I haven't stepped foot in the town for nearly 6 years and how much I do remember.

The initial uphill start of the race didn't deter me and I was able to get aggressive on some of the downhills and yet maintain a decent pace (I think) on the uphills.

The weather was absolutely perfect for running.  It was cool and about 55 degrees.  The sun wasn't intense (yet) and my legs actually felt really good.  By now, I have a pretty decent sense of distance and I was generally correct on how much longer I had to run. 

At the half way point, I felt like I had reached the summit of the town.  And since this was a looped course, I figured I was going to get some downhill.  Sure enough what I felt was the final mile was mostly downhill.  It wasn't crazy fast, but it was a gradual downhill and I took advantage of it.

I still had no idea what I was running.  The few people that had passed me weren't wearing watches and there were absolutely no mile markers or timers on the course.

I noticed that the streets were rapidly approaching 100 South.  That is the nice thing about Utah is we strictly adhere to a grid system for street numbering.  Generally speaking every 1000 is about a mile (give or take).  And it helped to see the roads dropping from 1200 to 1100 to 900.... 

Finally I could hear the crowds cheering and I could see the flicker of the timing clock.  Thank goodness!  I was running with a pack of younger folks and we were definitely fighting for every second.  It is always nice to have someone push you to your best.

The finish line came in a blink of an eye and I was ecstatic to see a 24:3X on the clock.

Conclusion

I was really happy to finish.  I had done WAY better than I expected I would.  Again, I had no idea what my pace was and how much further I had to go.  I just simply ran as hard as I could for as long as I could.

I quickly asked around what everyone's Garmin said was the distance.  I seemed to have recalled that the course was significantly short last time I ran it.  One of the first guy's I asked said it was 3.06.  Another two people said it was 3.01.  I am probably going to go with a hair over 3 miles on this race.  

Each participant was awarded a coin.  Looking back at my 2013 post, it looks like it is their tradition.

My car was parked just down the road so I went there and grabbed my camera for some finish line photos.  They also had a huge bunch of glazed donuts (going with the police theme).  Delicious.  They had plenty so I grabbed one for a post race treat and one for the road.

I didn't see any other post race refreshment other than water.  I always bring my own hydration so I had some Gatorade in the car.

The shirt is of a nice design but it is cotton so I probably won't wear it much. 

For $20 I got what I paid for.  I wish they had age group awards, but I think they only recognized the top finishers.

My race performance was solid today.  Even if the course had been accurate at 3.10 miles, I suspect I would've come in around 25:15 or so, which is about standard for me these days.  I am not running a lot of speedwork right now so before the race I had visions of seeing a 26 minute race.