Race Type: Run
Participants: 84
Overall Place: 4th
Age Group Place: 1st
Time: 33:32
Pace: 6:44/mile
This was the second race in a progressive series put out by a local timing company. I ran in the 5K and was signed up for the 8K a while back but they cancelled due to weather. This race was a makeup for that event.
On the way to the race I was pretty nervous. I'd run five miles on Friday and my legs were extremely tired. I got home feeling like I'd just finished the last six miles of the marathon from the week before. As a result I took Saturday off for recovery.
The previous 5K event by this company was really small, about 30 people, so I didn't think that this race would draw much of a turnout either. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw ~100 people milling around the start line. Apparently they had run a Groupon to draw a larger crowd.
The race was held at a beautiful golf course at Talking Stick Resort. We were informed that we would be running the back nine of the long and short courses.
Before the race I snapped a photo of the start/finish line and jumped around a little to see how the legs felt. Not too bad. My hopes of a decent race started to rise.
I was targeting a 6:40 pace for this race but wasn't sure if I was recovered enough to push that effort. I completed mile 1 at a 6:20 pace and was in second place. The kid in front of me was much faster than I could pull off so I didn't attempt to keep up.
I slowed down a little after mile 1 to a 6:40 pace and was passed by one runner. Mile three was a bit slower again and I was passed, putting me in fourth place. By this time I was starting to drag and only pulled a 7:00 pace on my fourth mile. I blamed it on the cart path rollers :-).
The third place runner had about a tenth of a mile on me and I knew that I didn't have the energy to pick him off. I kicked it up a little for the final mile and finished with a 6:50 mile. Final time, 33:30. 6:44 pace average.
(bib number order)
Overall, I was pleased with my run. My legs felt pretty good and the course was well marked and interesting.
After the race I grabbed one of the event helpers to snap a photo. The sun killed it a little bit.
(finish line selfie)
(ok, one more shot)
(golf course and Superstition Mountains)
(waiting for medals)
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