Official Time: 24:48
Placement: 5th in the 45 - 49 Age Division, 50th overall
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: Low 30's, no wind
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: [2018] [2016] [2015] [2014] [2013]
| Mile | Time | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7:45 | Fast first mile. Slight down hill here |
| 2 | 8:15 | Course levels out and then a bit of a hill climb |
| 3 | 8:24 | Grind until until about a quarter mile to the finish. Mild uphill |
| 3.05 | 0:24 | Push it the finish |
| Total Miles: 3.05- 24:48 | ||
Introduction
One of the best bargains in town is to do the South Davis Recreation Center races. They are very affordable, well run and it would seem like you get way more for your money than other races. I got a special deal to run this one and I took advantage of it.
This 5K course is the same one used for their Handcart Days 5K and Thanksgiving day 5K. I've probably raced this course at least a dozen times by now.
The race is located about 25 minutes north of my home. There is ample parking and best of all, a recreation center to hang out in before the race, so you can stay warm and use clean / warm restrooms.
The Race
I arrived at the race site about an hour before race time. I quickly got my bib and killed some time waiting for the race to start. About 20 minutes before the race I did a very brief warm-up and some dynamic exercises to get ready.
The weather for the race was ideal. Virtually no wind and with temperatures in the low 30's -- probably 32F. When I had arrived it was 26 but it warmed up somewhat nicely.
I was dressed in shorts, long sleeved shirt and heavy duty gloves (I hate cold hands). As I was waiting for the race to start I decided to ditch the jacket. I just tossed it behind the starter's area and said I'd get it after the race. Smart move on my behalf since I heated up quickly.
The race started on time and the first 100 yards or so it took away to find some running room. It is a bit of a family event and and there were some folks there that were fairly new to racing. It wasn't a big deal but it is something to expect.
The race starts at the recreation center and runs north for about a mile along a residential street. It is a gentle downhill at this point and I wasn't too surprised to see myself clock a 7:45. I was a little worried about it because I know the race gets more challenging on the way back. Either way, I felt good about the first mile.
After about 1.25 miles, you hang a right and you are greeted with a quiet road that gradually goes up. The hill isn't awful but it definitely takes a bit of the wind out of my sails.
You hang another right and you are brought out to the main drag of Bountiful. There are some houses and a fair amount of traffic on this road. Luckily for a Saturday morning, it wasn't that bad and they had the larger intersections manned by volunteers or the police to ensure you could get through.
This mile is always the toughest. The hill is way more noticeable and at this point in a 5K, you are hurting. I felt like I was running faster than an 8:15 when my watched beeped at mile 2 but it was right on target in terms of what I figured I was going to get.
As I climbed the hill, I remained focused on maintaining good form and knowing that the sooner I got up the hill, the sooner I could get to the flat section and cruise to the finish.
The final .20 of a mile is flat and as you round the final corner you can see some the spectators cars and you can almost smell the finish line. I had a lot left at this point and really dug deep to knock off a few seconds off of my time. No one was behind me and there were a few in front of me, but they were turning on the jets too.
As my Garmin chirped at mile 3, I looked down and figured I'd have a shot at a mid 24 minute run. This would certainly meet my stretch goal of 24:30. Maybe I could do it.
You make one final right hand turn and the finish line is just a little ways away. Here it turns into a sprint and while I pushed it to the finish, it wasn't like anyone was going to pass me or I was going to pass them.
The finish line time wasn't working and as expected, the finish never comes soon enough. My goal of a 24:30 wasn't met, but I wasn't too far off.
Conclusion
After finishing the race I grabbed a finisher's medal and did a cool down back to the starting line. They were cleaning up the starting area and thankfully, my nice jacket was laying just where I left it. I put it on and got to my car and grabbed a camera and went back to the finish line.
They had typical post race food: slices of muffin-like cake, fruit (oranges / bananas) and hot chocolate and other cold beverages. I grabbed a little food and got my official result from the timer and took off soon afterwards.
I paid $15 (I think) for this race. With the service charge, I was in for about $20. I got a nice finisher's medal, an opportunity at some slick prizes, a supported course and a cool t-shirt. One of the few bargains in the running community.
The course was marked well and started on time. Results appeared accurate as well.
Overall, I was pretty happy with my time. I didn't have very many great 5Ks to wrap up 2018 but it was nice to start off with a fairly decent time (for me) to kick off 2019. I felt fairly strong but my overall raw speed wasn't there. Probably because I am a bit heavier than in my hey-day.
This race is well suited for beginners and those looking for a nice, low stress 5K. It is a great community event and I always appreciate what the South Davis Recreation Center does for their races.
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