Dowd YMCA 5K - Run5k


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Charlotte, North Carolina
United States
Charlotte Dowd YMCA
40F / 4C
Sunny
 		Total Time = 00m
Overall Rank = 267/331
Age Group = 35-39
Age Group Rank = 21/21
Pre-race routine:

We didn't arrive too early today to avoid the rush of the half marathon. They started 20 minutes ahead of us so we delayed our arrival to allow them to get chips, set up, etc. When we got there we registered, got our chips, and walked around to see what booths were set up for the sponsors. We went into the Y for a last minute pit stop and headed back out to keep cool (I was suprised to see so many people inside in the heat - isn't it better to let your body adjust to the climate?)

I was also a lot smarter about nutrition this race. I ate a decent meal last night and added some extra salt. Drank a lot of water before bed, too. I woke up at 6, had some toast with peanut butter and gatorade/water mix at home and on the way to the race. Much improved this time - no cramps.
Event warmup:

Just some light stretching and a short jog back to the car to drop off our race tshirts and goodie bag.
Run
  • 32m 45s
  • 3.11 miles
  • 10m 32s  min/mile
Comments:

After learning our lesson in the last race, we started out stronger this time to keep in the middle of the pack and not drop too far behind. Good strategy since the first mile had a lot of downhill to keep the pace up. We ran really strong for the first 2.5 miles then started sucking wind coming up the last hills. We both had to take some small walking breaks, so I'm even more impressed with our finish time as a result. I was also amazed at mile 1.5 to see people at the intersection already on mile 2.5. Holy Smokes!!!
What would you do differently?:

Pay attention to my age group! I was really happy with my time, so no complaints overall. We loved this course. But I didn't find out until I got home and saw the results that I was only about 40 seconds behind 2 other guys in my AG. Dang it! Maybe if I didn't walk, I'd have beat them. Oh well. Improving 2 minutes from the last race on a hilly course is AWESOME!!!

Oh... and what the heck is with people doing the half marathon in 1:13? WTF? The winner had a 5:30 pace!!!!! Who the crap does that? And how? Teach me!!!!
Post race
Warm down:

Worked hard not to hurl. Succeeded. What causes that and how do I stop it? My UnderArmour shirt is a turtleneck and I felt like it was chocking me at times. Anyway, I walked around for a bit, drank some Powerade, then got a banana and fresh bread. Felt really good to be honest except for the first 5 seconds after running hard to the finish.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Hills. Great practice though! Endurance obviously needs to continue to improve so I won't have to walk after those inclines. Still happy!

Event comments:

Very well organized race for both the half marathoners and the 5kers.




Last updated: 2006-10-27 12:00 AM
Running
00:32:45 | 03.11 miles | 10m 32s  min/mile
Age Group: 21/21
Overall: 267/331
Performance: Good
n/a
Course: Great course, but really hilly. The first mile was on a main street and was mostly on a slight decline. The second and third miles were in a residential area that wrapped around a park. They were mostly uphill, except for a nice downhill run at mile 2 for a 1/4 mile (great for some added speed). Mile 1.5 and 2.5 were at the same intersection so it was easy to see where the competition was. Really nice course!
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Too hard
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5