 |
| All smiles at the finish line |
Placement: 18th overall, 3rd in the 50 - 59
Results: Soon
Race Website: Here
Weather: Mid 50s. Strong winds from the north and west (13+mph)
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: First Year for Me
| Mile | Time | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10:03 | After a fast start, had to make a climb uphill and into the wind. |
| 2 | 9:51 | I smashed it at the turn around but this was worst of the uphill section. |
| 3 | 8:08 | Wish the entire race had been like this. Screamer downhill |
| 3.20 | 1:52 | Uphill and into the wind but did better here. |
| Total Miles: 3.20- 29:56 | ||
Introduction
So I wanted to a race this past weekend; looking to stay sharp and test my 5K speed. It had been since January since I had raced at my fastest.
The only one I could find that was close, was the Skye Canyon Fit Fest 5K (and 8K). It was located about 3 miles from my house, so it was convenient and it would give me a chance to see a new area.
I didn't do a whole lot of research into other than it was a 5K, had medals and t-shirts and looked like something cool to do.
 |
| 8K runners off and running |
The Race
The race started at 9:30 and I arrived a good 75 minutes early. Parking was a bit rough. There was limited parking at the actual park so I had to park on the main street.
The race caused a bit of a road closure. The police had already closed off many of the streets so as someone who didn't know the area, it offered a little extra anxiety.
 |
| Slight uphill to the turn around |
 |
| Start of the climb |
The race was definitely a community event, geared towards giving families an opportunity to check out the health center as well as be entertained and do something health orientated. They had inflatable devices and plenty of activities for the younger folks. They also had a smattering of food trucks.
30 minutes before the race I wound up doing about a mile warm-up. I immediately determined it was windy and the route that we'd be running would definitely be impacted. I also scoped out the course and saw that we'd be running uphill and into the wind for the first half of the race. I am not sure if the photos I took do justice but I knew immediately it wasn't likely to be any sort of a personal record day.
 |
| About a third of the way up. |
The race started off in the park and we had a very quick exit before heading out to the street. The race started off with the 8K runners and about 60 - 90 seconds later, we started. It seemed like the great majority of runners were quite run and the event seemed very family friendly.
It wasn't long before I caught up to the slower 8K runners. Getting to the street docked me a few seconds as I had to leap over curbs and such, and for the first .4 of a mile, I settled into a decent pace. I was running slightly downhill and had a gentle breeze pushing me. But when I had scoped out the course before the race, I knew this advantage was going to be short-lived.
 |
| Half mile to go. |
After about .4 of a mile, we hung a right and had to make a 1.25 mile climb up Grand Teton Avenue. It was a relentless hill and involved at least 220 feet of climbing (according to my Garmin). To make matter worse, there was a howling wind. My pace immediately declined.
I didn't get worked up about my pace or the effort. I just soldiered on. I had already set up expectations on the race: this wasn't going to be a personal record day.
Mile 1 came in at just over 10 minutes. I wasn't really surprised and to be honest, I am not even sure I was paying attention to my watch's splits. I was there to cover the distance and try and place in my age group. I had noticed one person who was probably in my age group but there was no way I could catch him -- he was way ahead of me in no time at all.
Mile 1 came in at just over 10 minutes. I wasn't really surprised and to be honest, I am not even sure I was paying attention to my watch's splits. I was there to cover the distance and try and place in my age group. I had noticed one person who was probably in my age group but there was no way I could catch him -- he was way ahead of me in no time at all.
 |
| Finish line festivities |
I was never running solo and was surrounded by people of all abilities and ages -- mostly younger. I was still overtaking some of the 8K runners, but at this point, we were all running about the same pace.
I saw the flashing of a police car way up at the top of the hill and I figured that was going to be our turn around point. It was so close, yet so far away. And the wind wasn't letting up at all.
The course was on city streets and to be honest, it wasn't the sexiest course I've ever run. Just typical, walled off Las Vegas HOA communities. It was just a 5K though.
Finally the top of Grand Teton arrived and I figured that was our turn around. At least on the course maps it seemed to be. But for whatever reason, we had to hang a right. The hill continued but the wind settled down. I wound up getting a bit of extra energy here. I knew now was the time to try and make up some time.
 |
| Back to the starting line. |
Finally we hit the turn around and it came in at 1.6 miles. The half mile marker was spot on, so I knew we'd be running at least a 3.2 mile 5K.
Once I hit the turn around, I turned on the jets. There was a sense of urgency and I flew by a few people and began to pick off more. I was in race mode.
For next mile, I was cruising. A wind at my back and a steady decline.
Mile 2 came in at just under 10 minutes. But to be honest, I didn't care. This was all about attrition and getting it done.
Finally, I got to the bottom of the hill, sailed by the .5 mile to go sign, and hung a left. It was a steady grind back to the finish line and while the wind wasn't as intense as it was going west, it was still a factor. Any pep in my step was lost, but my head was still in the game.
I glanced behind me and only a woman was tailing me. 2 guys probably half my age were in front of me and putting distance on me. I hadn't seen anyone that looked to be in my age group. And while I had had plenty of company on the way out on the race, the runners had thinned out as I had lost the 8K runners and was with the speedier 5K runners.
I wound up working with the woman and out kicked her at the end. I wasn't surprised to see a 29:56 on the timer's clock.
 |
| Awards Stage |
Conclusion
So it is hard to measure any sort of success on this race. It was just a race under difficult conditions and it was probably my slowest 5K in a very long time.
I actually felt good at the end. I figured that I had run a 7:45 mile between 1.6 and 2.6 miles. My final half mile, while slow, was still solid given the uphill and breeze. Mentally I was strong and didn't give up on myself.
After the race I found out one of the lead runners was indeed in my age group and the age divisions were 10-year increments. I am not sure who else was in my age group, but I was 3rd. Unfortunately, only top 3 overall were given medals.
 |
| Shirt and finisher's medal |
I got a decent swag bag. It had flyers and a few things I could use in it. The t-shirt was a nice design and fit nicely, but it is cotton. Sadly, I probably will never use it except to bum around the house. The medal was nice though.
Post race refreshments included bottled water, bananas, oranges and granola bars. You could buy coffee and donuts from vendors and they did have a coffee shop on the premises as well.
I think this race is more geared towards family. With your race entry, your children would get to use the inflatable jumping things and enjoy the park. Post race, it was nice to watch everyone and relax in the sun.
I suspect a lot of your entry fee is used for road closures and police presence. It was about $40 a week or two before the race started.
The course was a tough one. I just wish they had had age group awards (even first overall in the age groups). It would give me something to shoot for and compete for. Let's face it, as a middle of the packer, over 50 runner, I am very unlikely to take a top 3 overall. The race did have over 300 runners though and I again, I enjoyed myself at this one.
No comments:
Post a Comment