Official Time: 24:56
Placement: 2nd in age group
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: Upper 30's, no wind
Garmin Dump: Here
| Mile | Time | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7:47 | Gentle downhill here. Hemmed in at the start |
| 2 | 8:08 | A bit of climbing |
| 3 | 8:31 | A grind up a slow hill. End can't come fast enough. |
| 3.07 | 0:29 | Sprint to the finish |
| Total Miles: 3.07 - 24:56 | ||
Introduction
One of my annual traditions, each Thanksgiving is to do the South Davis Recreation Center's 5K, located in Bountiful. They continue to put on a good race that is high on payoffs and low on price. For $20 you basically get a finisher's medal, an accurate course with professional timing, a t-shirt and usually a bunch of stuff in your swag bag. They also have your typical post race refreshments.
The biggest treat for me is that the 5K tends to be not super competitive (most runners do the 10K) and I can easily snag a Thanksgiving pie.
I rolled into the race just after 7 AM and grabbed my shirt. It was easy in and easy out -- well organized on all fronts. I wound up sitting around for a bit, attaching my bib and using the restroom.
Around 7:30 AM I decided to do my warm up. I felt super sluggish and I had a bit of panic: was this going to be a bad race?
After a mile warmup I returned back to the warm confines of the recreation center and used the bathroom a final time.
The race started a little late -- as usual. Generally, this race does start a few minutes late and I had toyed with the idea of wearing a light running jacket to keep warm, but I decided to tough it out. I went in shorts, throw-away gloves and a long sleeved shirt. Turns out that was a fantastic choice.
The first mile was congested -- well at least the first 1/4 of a mile. The race starts off in the parking lot and it is fairly narrow path. Also add in a bunch of kids and slower runners who weren't instructed to line up according to pace and you have an accident sort of waiting to happen. However, after about a 100 yards the race opens up.
The first mile is also a gentle downhill, which helped me get what felt like a fairly easy 7:47.
After the 1st mile marker, the race goes uphill slightly and at that point it always gets hard. The hill that is usually around 1.33 didn't seem to materialize for me and I was still running what I felt like was strong. I was happy to see mile 2 come in at 8:10ish.
The last mile is a grind. It is a gentle climb. It is also at this point that you are running along a fairly busy road. Luckily there isn't much traffic but you do have to pay attention to some of the traffic lights.
I was still holding my pace pretty well but as usual working the hill got the best of me.
I still had plenty of gas left at the end but my top speed definitely wasn't there.
The biggest treat for me is that the 5K tends to be not super competitive (most runners do the 10K) and I can easily snag a Thanksgiving pie.
The Race
I rolled into the race just after 7 AM and grabbed my shirt. It was easy in and easy out -- well organized on all fronts. I wound up sitting around for a bit, attaching my bib and using the restroom.
Around 7:30 AM I decided to do my warm up. I felt super sluggish and I had a bit of panic: was this going to be a bad race?
 |
| Pre-race photo of mile #1 |
After a mile warmup I returned back to the warm confines of the recreation center and used the bathroom a final time.
The race started a little late -- as usual. Generally, this race does start a few minutes late and I had toyed with the idea of wearing a light running jacket to keep warm, but I decided to tough it out. I went in shorts, throw-away gloves and a long sleeved shirt. Turns out that was a fantastic choice.
The first mile was congested -- well at least the first 1/4 of a mile. The race starts off in the parking lot and it is fairly narrow path. Also add in a bunch of kids and slower runners who weren't instructed to line up according to pace and you have an accident sort of waiting to happen. However, after about a 100 yards the race opens up.
The first mile is also a gentle downhill, which helped me get what felt like a fairly easy 7:47.
After the 1st mile marker, the race goes uphill slightly and at that point it always gets hard. The hill that is usually around 1.33 didn't seem to materialize for me and I was still running what I felt like was strong. I was happy to see mile 2 come in at 8:10ish.
The last mile is a grind. It is a gentle climb. It is also at this point that you are running along a fairly busy road. Luckily there isn't much traffic but you do have to pay attention to some of the traffic lights.
I was still holding my pace pretty well but as usual working the hill got the best of me.
I still had plenty of gas left at the end but my top speed definitely wasn't there.
Conclusion
After the race, I wound up grabbing a drink and grabbing warmer clothes from my car (it is so nice to have a low stress 5K). I made my way back and waited (quite a while) for the awards. They had self-serve kiosks, so I was pretty happy to see I had placed 2nd in my age group.
I grabbed some food and wound up socializing a bit with some runners I knew. The 10K was very competitive so I am glad I opted for the 5K. I wound up snagging a cherry pie, a ribbon and of course a pretty sweet finisher's medal.
I grabbed some food and wound up socializing a bit with some runners I knew. The 10K was very competitive so I am glad I opted for the 5K. I wound up snagging a cherry pie, a ribbon and of course a pretty sweet finisher's medal.
Overall, I felt like my time should've been better. I felt like my time was going to be slightly faster than last year's (24:30-ish), but alas it wasn't. Time for me to focus on dropping some weight and working on my speed work again.
All in all, I had a good time and definitely worth the $20.
Happy Thanksgiving!
All in all, I had a good time and definitely worth the $20.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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