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Surf City Run 5K - Run


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Huntington Beach, CA
United States
Spectrum Sports Mgmt
66F / 19C
Overcast
Total Time = 28m 12s
Overall Rank = 642/1408
Age Group = 30-34
Age Group Rank = 50/84
Pre-race routine:

For some reason I only got 3 hours of sleep. Not sure why but wasn't much I could do about it. I forgot to pick-up my packet the day before so I had to go early to get it. Got to the event at about 6:15a and my race didn't start until 8a. Walked around the few booths a people-watched. My goal for the race was to run the entire thing a.k.a. no walking and to finish in under 30 minutes.
Event warmup:

Did a lot of stretching and some light running. Felt like my L hamstring was really tight and I couldn't get it to relax but it felt OK during the race. The locals only race was at 7am so I had at least an hour to kill before my race started at 8a. I drank 2 bottles of water to make sure I was hydrated and because I was thirsty. I had to go to the bathroom twice before the race. As we were walking up to the starting area we were only about 4 min from the start and I'm trying to remain calm and enjoy the moment when BAM, I've got to go again!! I would never have made all of the way over to the bathroom and back in 4 min so I just held it. The first mile and last mile were just torture!
Run
  • 28m 12s
  • 3.1 miles
  • 09m 06s  min/mile
Comments:

The first mile seemed to whizz right by. I was passing a few people and getting passed quite a bit but I felt pretty good. Looked at my watch at the first mile and it said 8:56. I was pretty happy with that as it is a full minute faster than my normal mile time. I had to go around quite a few people, zig-zagging all over the place but it wasn't too bad. I was having some fun watching the other runners who were dressed up for the holiday and spectators were great. Most people were getting their spots for the parade and fireworks later but they were nice enough to cheer us on. i got behind this really cute girl all dressed up with pig-tails painted red, white, and blue. I enjoyed the moment for a while and then had to pass her. But as soon as I passed her then she would pass me! Then it just became a matter of principle, I had to pass her! I passed her at the turnaround and still felt pretty good. My watch said 13:11. I was getting faster??!! WTF! I can't run like this. I'm 218 lbs and a horrible runner. Oh well, enjoy it while it lasts 'cause it won't last long. At mile 2 my watch said 18:16 and I thought, "OK that's more like my stride!" I was getting pretty tired at this point but I was determined not to give up. As we were heading into the homestretch part of mile 3 was a slight uphill run. Holy crap!! I'm already tired, I have to pee like a racehorse, and now you expect me to run uphill!! I say again...WTF!!! I felt like I was crawling that last mile but was determined not to give up under any circumstances. I trudged along until I got to the 2.75 mile mark and then I decided to kick it up a notch. Or as much as I could. As I turned the corner for the last .1 mile I felt a small surge on energy and kicked as hard as I could. I crossed the line and stopped my watch at 28:12:53. Needless to say I was pretty surprised.
What would you do differently?:

Overall, I am really happy with my performance. I know I suck at running but I met and exceeded my goals, what more can I ask for? Doing this race as well as a couple of recent workouts just made me realize that I am getting in better shape and faster. I'll never be a world-class champion but if I can get to a sub-8 min mile consistently over a larger distance like a 10K or 1/2 marathon in addition to improvements in the other two sports, then I will be as happy as can be. Sooner or later, I know it will all come together. For now, I'm happy. But not happy enough to rest on my laurels!! I'll be back out there tomorrow.
Post race
Warm down:

Walked around for a few minutes to try to cool down. Took about 5-10 minutes to do some nice long stretches. Hit the bathroom ASAP! Drank some more H2O. Once I felt up to it, about 15 minutes later, I walked around the booths and sampled some of the goodies.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Weight at 218lbs, experience. Will work on running more and improving cardio and endurance.

Event comments:

Very small expo area with only a few vendors, but lots of volunteers to help. Didn't see any actual food like they promised though. Maybe I just missed it.




Last updated: 2005-06-25 12:00 AM
Running
00:28:12 | 03.1 miles | 09m 06s  min/mile
Age Group: 50/84
Overall: 642/1408
Performance: Good
Course: Started at Huntington Beach H.S. and ran down Main street to HB pier, took a right on PCH to Orange where they had the turnaround and a water station. Back up PCH and main to the front of the HS for the finish.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4

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2005-07-04 12:21 PM

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Expert
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Subject: Surf City Run 5K


2005-07-04 12:56 PM
in reply to: #189779

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Master
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Subject: RE: Surf City Run 5K
Great job pushing it at the end. You said it - you met and exceeded your goals. That's what it's all about.  Nice work.
2005-07-05 3:15 PM
in reply to: #189779

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Subject: RE: Surf City Run 5K
Nice race Dave - It's a good baseline to see how much the tri camp will improve your running.  You should find a 5K in late September and see what happens..... (and now I guess I have a rabbit to chase )
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General Discussion Race Reports! » Surf City Run 5K Rss Feed