One of my least favorite parts about racing is the early mornings, getting packed up and ready to go in a pre dawn chill. Factoring in travel time, and what and when to eat also add to the stress of race day. Often, the best races are the ones that are physically close to home. This is one of my favorites just because it starts at a park about three quarters of a mile from my house, so getting there is just part of my warm up.
photo courtesy of Montessori Dads
Both the 5K and 10K courses at this event are relatively flat, mostly through nice neighborhoods. The last couple years I have opted for the shorter distance, as I like to run a string of 5Ks in the summer to work on my speed. The lack of any significant hills and only a handful of turns makes for a fairly quick route. One of my favorite parts is the final stretch, heading directly down a wide paved path in the middle of a park.
The field this year was a little smaller than usual, probably due to the fact that the next big town up the road had a race at the same time. It was still including more than a handful of familiar faces as we warmed up and wandered around saying hi to all the people we knew. Bib pickup was quick and painless, and I made sure to check the course map to minimize the chances of having a bad race. There were also several booths set up representing local businesses and a fire truck for the kids to check out.
10K winner Zane photo courtesy of Montessori Dads
After a relaxing warm up and chatting a few friends, it was time to race. This was my first chance to test out my new Adidas Boston shoes, which I would be training and racing in for the next few months. I discovered later I had tied them too snugly, but other than some bruised toes, it was not an issue. A few sprinkles fell, but I was fine in the basic shorts and a t-shirt running attire. The pace bicyclists got lined up and after a few quick announcements, we were off.
The benefit of a race in your own neighborhood is you know exactly what to expect. Even as I knew I had the cyclists to follow, I still kept the route in mind and a basic plan on when to watch my pace. I had estimated my finish time before the start to be between 16:40 and 16:50 due to my current health and training status. There was no worry of taking it out too fast, but pushing too hard in the middle would be a bad idea as part of the last section is a very gradual rise.
Motivational pennants along the course are one of my favorite parts of this race. Unfortunately, the course had been marked out the night before with chalk, and some persistent rain had washed away much of it, creating an issue for some people. There were volunteers with signs at most of the intersections, which was a nice touch to ensure people would stay on course. It was a pretty quiet race for me, as I chased the cyclists alone for most of the run. My finishing time of 16:48 was on par with my expectations, and good enough for the day.
pace bicyclists getting ready photo courtesy of Montessori Dads
It was great to see a bunch of locals coming out to do a run that benefited the local Montessori school. Even though it was located at a park, they did a great job of putting together a bunch of fun things for the kids to do, in addition to a kids run. Eclectic Edge timing got the job done, and even provided printouts of the individual results almost immediately after the finish. Raffle prizes were great, and I walked away with a cool RoadNoise vest, which is good because I am hearing impaired and running with earbuds is not the safest idea. It was another great event for them this year, and I am hoping to return next year with even more people!
