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Race Report

OK, I lied - here’s the race report, earlier than tonight. Thanks for the encouragement, everybody!

I woke up at 6am after too little sleep (my wife and I threw an engagement party for two of our friends Saturday night, so I got to sleep a little later than I normally would’ve). After a quick shower to help me wake up, some napping on the couch, and a Zone bar for breakfast, I set out for the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department, the site of the Vienna Jaycees 5k Turkey Trot.

I knew it was going to be cold, but (since I don’t run in those temperatures all that often), I didn’t have a great idea of what I should wear. I ended up with a dri-fit t-shirt under a long-sleeved cotton shirt and a pair of track pants, figuring that I’d warm up during the race itself (goodness knows I froze on the short trip from the front door to the car).

Check-in was from 7:00 to 7:45; I arrived around 7:20 and looked around dumbly until a helpful volunteer pointed me in the right direction. I picked up my number (76) and a couple of safety pins, my race packet, and my first race t-shirt (woohoo!). At this point, it was still over half an hour to the race’s start, so I dropped the packet off in my car, fiddled with my number until I realized I should’ve taken four safety pins, jogged a bit to warm up, and stretched. I also spent some time just absorbing the atmosphere, which I found very familiar from all the volleyball tournaments I’ve been to. Lots of people greeting each other enthusiastically, sharing in the knowledge that we’d all be a little more tired soon, that sort of thing - the only real difference from a tournament was that (sniff) I didn’t know anybody in the crowd. I’m definitely going to have to rope a friend into running with me next time….

Fast forward to just before 8am, and we’d all gathered on the street outside the fire department. Somebody made announcements at the starting line, but I was so far back in the pack of several hundred runners that I couldn’t hear much beyond “mumble mumble flat course mumble mumble”. Instead, I spent my time watching the guy who was running with his dog (a beautiful chocolate lab) and the woman with her baby in a jogging stroller. And then… there was a subtle wave of people moving out at the front of the pack (benefit of being tall, being able to see that site), and we were off.

For the first quarter mile or so, I couldn’t keep anything like a steady pace - it was all about getting a clear area to run in, passing people, and dodging cars (the route was wholly residential, with cars parked on the street for much of the way). After that, though, the pack stretched out a bit and I was able to settle into something that more closely resembled a rhythm. According to my Garmin, I took the first mile in 8:02, which was a little faster than I wanted.

By the time we completed the first mile, incidentally, it became clear that the “mostly flat” comment from the announcer at the race start was a little misleading. The first three-quarters of that mile seemed to be one long, low-grade downhill slope. That stretch was followed by an equally low-grade incline that lasted for a quarter mile. Then, just before the turnaround point and after the lone waterstop (more on that stop in a second), there was a relatively steep hill that went up and down in about a quarter mile. (For those inclined to be empathetic - none of my normal routes include hills, so this was my first encounter with any real grade in years. Pity me!

After swinging around the turnaround and powering up the hill again, I decided it might be time for some water. Unfortunately, I made two mistakes before reaching the friendly volunteer with the drink of life: I made my decision a little later than I probably should have, and I completely forgot anything I might have ever known about grabbing water at a waterstop. I ended up coming in too fast, the cup slipped out of my hand, and water spilled everywhere (well, not *every*where - mostly on my hand and arm, and a little on the volunteer). I apologized as profusely as I could and continued on my way, feeling like a total heel.

Second mile split: 17:00, which was right on my goal pace of 8:30 for the whole race. I was feeling pretty good by this point, but I had yet to encounter the reverse of that first downslope - and that’s what did me end. At 2.5 miles, I had to stop and walk for a bit; I walked for 1:30 before picking it back up and running the rest of the way, finishing in just over 27 minutes. Unfortunately, I don’t have an unofficial time for myself, since I forgot to stop my Garmin’s stopwatch when I hit the finish line (sigh). All in all, though, I had a really good time - even with the ridiculous cold (the air temp was 33° the windchill was around 27°). Apparently I dressed acceptably well, since once I started running I felt warm enough.

One thing’s for sure - I’m really looking forward to racing again, but I think I’ll wait until it’s a bit more temperate.