Cure Autism Now - 5K - Run5k

This was my first 5K, not counting the Sprint tri I did last year. I was not sure exactly how to race it, so I decided to go out at whatever pace felt right and try to hold it through the race.

My first mile was around a 7:30 pace. I did a pretty good job of holding this pace the rest of the way. The heat and humidity were pretty nasty, even this early in the morning. A few kind neighbors placed sprinklers on the edge of their yards for us to run through. I thanked them while running through the water.

The course was through a VERY nice neighborhood in Potomac. Some beautiful homes on the course. It was a little hilly, nothing drastic, but one of the hills seemed like a mountain in the heat. Several people passed me on the hills, gasping for air. They all dropped back not long after.

I took a cup of water at the one aid station on the course and dumped it on my head. I slowed down just a little bit on the last mile. I swear that it got 20 degrees hotter in the first 15 minutes of the race.

The last 1/4 of a mile was downhill. I caught someone else in my age group. He said something like "finally, someone else with something left at the end." Not long after I passed him, he sprinted on by me. I took off after him and followed him through the finish line. A fun way to finish the race!


Overall I feel great. I could not even run 3 miles a year ago. I think that I could have pushed just a little harder. I feel like I had a little something left at the end of this race.

This has me really psyched for the NYC tri in 2 weeks!

Grabbed a bottle of water. Stretched. Ate a 1/2 bagel, banana, apple and slice of pizza. Had 2 more bottles of water while cheering on the other finishers.


The heat and lack of experience racing.


Very well organized. A ton of volunteers. The course was well marked and plenty of volunteers along the course pointing the way.