Andover 5k Race Report

There is nothing that will suck the energy out of you during a run more than the blazing heat of the unimpeded sun beating down upon you. It would have been better if I had been out all night drinking than to have this race done on the hottest day of the year. Even at the race start at 8:30am it must have been well over 80F. Beyond that I wasn't feeling 100% and it turns out I was coming down with some stomach bug thingy (that I am only now a few days later mostly over)

OK those are the things I couldn't control, now on to the things that I can (but didn't do a very good job of in any case). We were on our way to the race and Ally and Andrew were about to run in the 'kids run' that starts 1/2 and hour earlier and I was giving them some advice, "Don't start too fast" I explained, make sure you start easy and then you will be passing people in the end. Ally did a great job and was passing kids as she bounded across the 1/2 mile finish line . Andrew just chugged the 1/4 mile of his race (they had two age groups and distances) and I think he finished in the top 3-4. They both did great.

So did I take my own advice, even knowing that it was blazing hot out? Of course not. I started with my sister Beth and I 'thought' I would take it easy and run with her, but by the 1/2 mile mark I had already left her in the dust and as I approached the 1st mile marker, my watch read 7:27 and I knew I had failed miserably to follow my own advice. My problem is that I just don't respect the 5k distance. It really isn't far and I figure I can just push through any pain I might have (and to some respect I generally can), but with the stomach and heat the way they were, that wasn't happening today.

I knew I was in trouble so I needed to slow it way down. My next mile came in at 8:02. Yep, way slower, now if I can just bring it on home and live for another day. I still didn't have much left and as people started passing me. In the end my only thought was, 'I hope I had put enough distance between me and my sister so she doesn't pass me in the last step' (which she has done to me in a different race), but I was only really demoralized when I was passed by a guy pushing a stroller and his (I assume) wife. DOH! Last 1.1 miles pace: 8:15. Yep slower still...

Final official time: 24:34 Slower than I ran the 3 miles my my last Triathlon. Not exactly my day. My sister came in at 26:28 and I think we were both just glad it was over with. Maybe next year I'll try harder to get into the top 3 in my division (30-39) in this race. I like doing it because it is small and if I really applied myself I know I could do it again.

On a positive note the kids took a turn climbing the wall there for Andover days, Here's Ally, she managed to do it twice: