Summer Sizzler 5K Race Report

Date: August 3, 2012
Location: Delware, OH
Distance: 3.1 miles (ostensibly, it was actually 2.7 miles)
Time: 26:28 (PR?  I think I’m going to stick with my 28:40 PR because the course was so short)
Gimmick: Part of the Dave Staley Triathlon.  Dave Staley is 83 and still participates in the triathlon.

I had to register for a race as part of BYNGO back in May, so I picked this because it was only $10.  I had no goals for this race because it was August and I assumed the distance would be off since it was a very, very small local race.  The weather was fine, but I was right about the distance.  Pretty much everyone wearing a Garmin said it was 2.69-2.7 miles.

Anyways, I decided not to race this for myself, but to run with my husband who wanted to hit as close to 30 minutes as he could.  I convinced him to do a 1.2 mile warm up (that’s a loop around the park) and then we lined up.  We started at the same time as the triathlon and duathlon, although we couldn’t hear the starting horn, so I think we were about 10-15 seconds off the clock (there was no chip timing).

The first section was uphill and we went out really fast because it was such a crowded start.  I was worried that we started too fast, but my husband swore he was fine and could maintain.  I struggled a little on the hill, but I could still use sentences.  I was pretty stoked at the idea that the end would be all downhill and I’m pretty sure I said that repeatedly.  Mile 1 was a 10:04.

We hit the turn around loop at the local high school and I realized the race would be short.  I wasn’t sure how short because we finished at a slightly different place than where we started.  I’m not sure how the course ended up so short, but whatever.  We skipped the water (the volunteers had to fill more cups) and kept going.  Mile 2 was a 9:42.

After mile 2, my husband was over it.  I’m not really sure what happened and we haven’t talked about it, but he was really struggling.  I also lost the little piece of paper where I wrote down our pace for that last 0.70 miles, so you can do the math if you care.  It was a 9:xx.  Welcome to the world’s laziest blog.  I felt good and sprinted the finish, especially since the race director was yelling for me (we have chatted before).

The racing conditions weren’t ideal, but I’ve come to realize that they never are.  It will always be too hot/too cold/too humid/too little sleep/etc.  It was muggy that day, but not horrible.  I went out for another 2.5 miles post race and felt great.  I missed the awards ceremony, though because it was after the triathlon, which took 2+ hours.  No one contacted me to tell me that I got a trophy, but I did win my age group and was 4th woman overall.  I’ve told my husband he needs to go get me one made because that isn’t likely to happen ever again.  I might consider this race again though if I take up triathlons or if they redo the course.  It was a fun little local race even if it wasn’t really 5K.