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Jingle Bell 5K - Run


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Baltimore, Maryland
United States
Arthritis Foundation
35F / 2C
Sunny
Total Time = 20m 36s
Overall Rank = 10/428
Age Group = 30 -39
Age Group Rank = 3/46
Pre-race routine:

Had a Clif Bar and a Vitamin Water at 6:20, race at 9:00.
Event warmup:

Ran about 10 minutes, stretched.
Run
  • 20m 36s
  • 3.2 miles
  • 06m 26s  min/mile
Comments:

First indication that things were going to be a little different was when the organizers said that the course was actually 3.25 or so. Hmmmm, there goes all chances of hitting 21 minutes like I wanted to. Second, not a chip race, so getting a good accurate time meant I really needed to start at the front. Third, the course was supposedly "flat" but really was constant "ladder" on the back stretch street. Flat, up, flat, up, etc. Took everyone by surprise.

Started at the front in the second row of peaople. Horn sounded and I went off with everyone from the front. There was a group of 4 that really went right off, and then a group of about 5 which included me. After about a 1/2 one of our group fell off, but the rest of us were working very well together and not overly pushing each other even though we could see the front 4 walking away from us. After that first half they probably had about 100 yards on us. First mile split was 5:58, a bit faster than I wanted to be ;). My group was a women, another guy my age, and a 60 year old guy who looked great.

I picked it up a little and put a few feet between me and the group as we made the turn to go up to the return road. It was only a block and we turned again to the second leg. This is the one that kept going up. One of the group passed me and I held with him for a few minutes. We hit mile two at 12:22, so I had a 6:24 second split. The pace and the uphills were catching up to me and I backed it off a tick to make sure I totally didn;t explode in the last mile. I let the older guy, the women and another guy who had caught or group past over the next 1/2 or so.

Fianlly we get to the top of the uphill ladder section and make a turn to go back to the arena. I steal a glance back and see another guy coming up on me and decide to keep it even and if he passes me, so what. He does with about a 1/3 to go and looking back I saw that the next guy would have to go all out to make up the distance so I put it cruise to the finish.

The finish was inside the Du Burns Arena, which was cool. Sharp right to get in the facility, finished strong. Time? 20:36 on a 3.2 course!! Totally psyched! Beat the 5k time I wanted to do on a course that was a 1/10th longer! I was awarded 2nd in my age group since one of the people in my age group got top 3 men overall.

Great race, great results, great way to end my racing season!!
What would you do differently?:

Try to push a little more at the end, could have caught one or two people probably since the last 1/4 mile was slightly downhill. But I was pretty tired, and really did what I could so I'm happy overall.
Post race
Warm down:

Sit with company teammates and shoot the stuff about the race. One of them got 4th in his AG and 20th overall so did well.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Maybe the fact that I've only been running again since March? ;)

Event comments:

Good race and well run.




Last updated: 2005-11-21 12:00 AM
Running
00:20:36 | 03.2 miles | 06m 26s  min/mile
Age Group: 3/46
Overall: 10428/428
Performance: Good
Course: 3.2 instead of true 5k. Thought it would be flat, but from about 1.3 - 2.7 were really uphill/rolling - caught everyone by surprise.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
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: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 4

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2005-11-21 6:09 AM

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Cycling Guru
15134
50005000500010025
Fulton, MD
Subject: Jingle Bell 5K


2005-11-21 1:35 PM
in reply to: #289230

Expert
1085
1000252525
New Orleans, LA
Subject: RE: Jingle Bell 5K

Oh My - You run fast!   Great job on the PR, yesterday seemed to be good for that

2005-11-21 2:36 PM
in reply to: #289751

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Cycling Guru
15134
50005000500010025
Fulton, MD
Subject: RE: Jingle Bell 5K
Thanks! It is not my personal best of all time, but definitely the fastest I've run in "modern times." I'm counting it as a PR based on the fact that I have not raced in 13 years up until this year.

I have been lucky enough to have been doing some sort of endurance sport since I was 16 (18 years now), so I have a strong fitness base. Even after a four year layoff doing nothing (and I mean nothing) it only took a year to get back most of my old form.

It just comes with time! Now I need to get my bike legs back!

I am glad to hear you had great success with your first running race. There are plenty more of those to come!
2005-11-23 7:52 AM
in reply to: #289230

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Master
1946
100050010010010010025
Bronze member
Subject: RE: Jingle Bell 5K
Gotta love those "rolling' hills- sounds like you had a good race & a good time- Congrats for a great "return" to the sport.....what's next ??
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