Running for Flowers

Oregon's Run for the Roses 5K
Sherwood, OR

My Race
Watch Time: 26:37, Course PR! (28:11 in 2006), Distance PR!! (26:43 in September 2006)
Gun Time: 26:47
Placement: 43/143 OA, 13/73 F, 6/27 AG (30-39....should have been 3/17 for the classic 30-34 AG breakdown)

Since I'm finishing up my monster base building phase for my triathlon season, this race wasn't high on the priority list. But it was my first 5K ever last year and a small well-organized race that Chad and I decided we'd both run it this year. Having done no speedwork whatsoever since early March, my expectations were not too high. I wanted to PR the course and to have no wardrobe malfunctions a la last year's shoe lace incident.

Alarm...again. Isn't it Sunday? Actually, Nathan's Fisher Price Aquarium woke me up 30 minutes before the clock radio. Checked the weather...upper 50's/low 60's and clear at race time. A bit warm but not horrible. Traditional pre-race meal of wheat bagels, peanut butter, coffee, and water as we stumble around the house pulling on all our gear. On the road at 7....back to the house at 7:07 since Chad forgot his watch...back on the road at 7:10. We get to Sherwood High in plenty of time to use the facilities and jog one lap around the track before it's time to line up. Nothing going through my head except thoughts about pushing the pace a bit. If it doesn't hurt, go faster right?

Gun pops. We start moving. Oops they forgot to take the starting line tape off so we all converge on the sidelines of the football field to wiggle around the barricade. And we're finally off! The rest of the race was kind of a blur as I vaccillated back in forth between "Not hurting....must run faster" and "Pain...must slow down." Most of the pain occurred during the hidden hills in mile two. I went out kind of hard pacing myself with the middle-of-the-pack 10K runners and by the time the 5K split off, I was running by myself for large portions of the course, passing a few people, all younger than 20 but only getting passed once. Good sign? Maybe (see note about my AG placing). I turn the final corner and see the finish line and kick...feebly. Yeah, it hurt. But I finished strong and was pleased to have smashed my course PR and taken six seconds off my distance PR. Got my rose, a water, a cooldown stroll, and a chance to watch Chad pick up second place in his AG. Now it's time for a real breakfast and a long 50 mile ride when I get home. It was a C race after all and I'm training!

Chad & Nathan's Race: Yeah, he ran with the stroller again.
Watch Time:
Gun Time: 21:38, Distance PR!!! (23:51 in October 2006) - Both with the stroller
Placement: 13/143 OA, 10/70 M, 2/14 AG (30-39....2/7 for the classic 30-34 AG breakdown)

This was my first race since my Boston Qualifying performance at the Eugene Marathon five weeks ago. I still haven't worked my way back to running my full pre-marathon mileage and haven't done any speedwork either. I planned to push the pace a bit, but would be very happy with anything sub 22 minutes.

As mentioned above, the gun went off and the pack lurched forward, only to find the way blocked by a rope barricade. As the runners around me scooted to the outside, leapt over the rope, or squeezed under it, Nathan and I tried to maneuver around it. We lost a few seconds, and ended up behind a number of slower runners who had lined up behind us before the gun. Through the gate and over the curb and we were off and running. I took a position as far to the left as possible and spent the first mile squeezing between the cars parked in the street and runners who weren't quite sure how close to the cars they should run. We managed to avoid hitting any cars or runners, but just barely. I had wanted to run the first mile around 7:30 and then pick up the pace from there. Instead we ran it in 6:52. Oh well, mile 2 is the hilly mile so I'll just slow down a bit.

We raced down the first hill passing runners like crazy. Then came the first significant uphill. Holy Lactate Batman! My sprint slowed to a shuffle and a few runners passed us. A few more rollers and we were through the worst of the hills. From this point on, we didn't get passed anymore, but only passed a couple more runners the last half of the race. About mile 2.5, we passed a runner who had stopped to puke. Poor guy. Then we passed a guy a few years younger than me and a younger girl. I think the guy was cursing under his breath at being passed by a stroller. :) As we climbed the last hill toward the finish, the girl passed us again and this time I couldn't catch her. I thought the cursing man might catch us as we has to hop a curb 50 yards from the finish, but he never did. As we crossed the finish, I heard a volunteer say that we were the first stroller. I knew we had run well, since there were only a few runners milling about the finishing area. I had no idea I had placed until Raquel told me later. I am now the proud owner of a Run for the Roses logo pint glass. Nathan joined me for the awards photo.

This was a fun race, and I was very pleased with my run. I still need to run a 5k without a stroller this summer to see if I can crack that 20 minute barrier.