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| Sound of Hope 5K Welcome Flag |
Placement: 20th overall, 13th male
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: Mid 60's with brisk breeze from the south
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: [2022]
| Mile | Time | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7:59 | Nice little tailwind. Feeling rock solid. |
| 2 | 8:24 | I lost everything once I hit the turn around. |
| 3 | 8:50 | Yuck. Just nothing left |
| 3.10 | 0:40 | Sprint to the finish |
| Total Miles: 3.10 - 25:54 | ||
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| Packet Pickup |
Introduction
There were a handful of races in the Salt Lake valley this weekend. It was a hard decision but ultimately, I decided to go with a very local race that I've done before -- the Sound of Hope 5K in South Jordan. The race supports a group in the prevention of suicide with all of the proceeds going to support that initiative.
I've done the race before when it was held at a park a few more miles down the trail. I think due to overcrowding and a parking situation, they have moved the race to the East Riverfront Park. The race's starting location is a familiar one: many of the SOJO 5K / 10K races begin and end there.
The Race
The race started at 9 AM and I was showed up at the park, found parking, and grabbed my bib by 8:15 AM. It allowed me ample time to warm-up, get some strides in, some photos and use the bathrooms.
My legs have been shot most of the week and it took a while before I was able to get some life in them. The strides and drills really helped.
For a local charity event, the race is well managed and it started on time.
About 500 runners started just off the trail, went under the starting / finish line arch and headed north up the Jordan River Trail. I don't normally make it to South Jordan on my local runs but I've run the area plenty of times. So I knew exactly where I was at and what to expect: a pancake flat, paved bike trail.
I started off feeling pretty good as we ran along the bike trail. There was a bit of a breeze that was mostly at my back and the first mile came easily. It was nice to run along the Jordan River and the trees are just starting to change from green to yellow. The air temperature was warm, but not hot.
I didn't look at my watch when it came to what pace I was running. I did make a mental note of the distance I had run when I hit a mile marker on the bike trail. It is a helpful tactic so that on the return trip I could "know" that I had .75 of a mile left to run. Normally I wouldn't worry too much about it, but with many races, they aren't always reliable as far as total distance run.
One thing that gave me confidence on the overall race distance was that the mile 1 (and mile 2) markers were spot on. I hit mile 1 in 7:59. A little faster than I thought but it felt good.
The race, if it has a fault, is that there are no age group awards. I believe they give an overall award for pre-teen, teen, and adults (over 20+). I was tailing a guy who looked to be about my age and using him as my pacer / competition. I figured I was in the top 25.
It seemed to take forever to hit the halfway point. It was a simple turnaround sign -- at exactly 1.55 miles. Perfect! The race appeared to be set up correctly.
I grabbed some water at the aid station: mostly to rinse out my mouth and clear some of the building junk out of my throat. My allergies had been bothering me pre-race but so far it hadn't slowed me down.
I wound up passing my "competition" and I picked up the pace ever so slightly. I was on target, for what I felt, was a good race. Although, I did notice that I was being slowed up by a bit of a headwind. There wasn't anyone to take shelter behind either.
Just before I hit the mile 2 marker, I knew I was hurting. My competition overtook me and left me in the dust. I was running on fumes. Breathing-wise, I was just done. I hit mile 2 in a disappointing 8:24 and I felt like I wasn't going to magically bounce back either.
There were a few other folks around me but the pack I was working with disappeared and there wasn't much of anyone behind me. I had received a lot of cheers from the outbound people as well -- once again I felt like an elite athlete with getting so much encouragement.
My pace dropped off a cliff and my job was simply to finish at this point. I knew this mile wasn't going well.
Finally the finish line came into view and I could hear the music. I pushed the final quarter mile as best as I could. I also knew they'd be recording the finish line, so I put on the strongest look I had and sped under the Sound of Hope arches for another finish.
Conclusion
So my time -- was a disappointing 25:52 or so. As I write this, they haven't posted the official results. My competition had completely left me in the dust as well.
I grabbed my finisher's medal, caught my breath, and found a group of runners to commiserate with.
While there was nothing on the line for this race, I was disappointed. Given last week's solid race, I was expecting to finish about 20 - 30 seconds faster.
I wound up getting my phone and got some finish line photos. And once my stomach had settled down, I grabbed some snacks for the road. They had a lot of prepackaged chips, granola bars, etc. Hydration consisted of cold water bottles.
So I knew what I was getting when I signed up for this race. My only complaint is no age group awards. Honestly, that is what has stopped me from registering in years past: for me, I need a shot at competition. However, this year, I simply wanted to race, and get out and have some fun.
The race is a bargain. One it goes to a good cause and two, they deliver on a well organized race. They also had a nice swag bag, which included a very cool shirt (best shirt of the year, perhaps?), a buff, a blinking night light, sunglasses, etc. The food was above average and overall, I am happy with my experience.
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| Finisher's medal + t-shirt |
My performance, on the other hand, wasn't what I was hoping for. I noticed on Strava that many runners had a fast first mile and followed up with a slower 2nd and finally an even slower 3rd mile. It was nearly the exact same pattern as me. I think the wind did play a factor. Also, it is interesting to note that running last week at 600 feet elevation saves me almost 1 full minute off of a 5K.
I am hoping for redemption in the next weeks as I try to salvage what is left of 2024. It's been a rough go and I was hoping I had turned a corner after the Cole Porter Race, but clearly, it isn't quite there.
Upcoming Races
10/26: 2024 Haunted Half 5K - Provo, UT (Confirmed)
11/02: Vineyard Blizzard 5K - Vineyard, UT (Confirmed)
11/09: Sandy City Thanksgiving 5K - Sandy, UT (Maybe)
11/16: Snow Canyon Half Marathon - St George, UT (Maybe)
11/28: 2024 South Davis Recreation Center Thanksgiving Run 5K - Bountiful, UT (Confirmed)
02/23: 2025 Las Vegas Half Marathon - Las Vegas, NV (Confirmed)
04/26:2025 Salt Lake City Half Marathon - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed)
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