Race Result: 2012 Hamel 5K

Event: Hamel 5K (Freeze Your Buns)
Goal: Just have a good speed workout
Actual: 20:06 (6:29 per mile pace)
Overall: Sixth (250+)
Previous Results: 2011 - 19:14 (2nd overall), 2010 - 20:14 (5th overall)

Lets come back up to speed (in more ways than one!). After the 200-mile run month in November, you might recall I started to have some issues with the left hip/pelvis in December. I scheduled a MRI and expected to be told I had yet another stress fracture after suffering the same fate in March of 2011. Instead, I was told I now have osteoarthritis in the left hip. A fracture heals. Arthritis you have to learn to live with.

So, I basically laid off training most of December. I put in a measly 35 miles of running in January and was just starting to get my running legs under me when I was waylaid by a nasty cold/sinus infection. So the week leading up to this 5K, I had a grand total of 1 workout. And that was the day before, a paltry 3.5 mile run.

So, I didn't have the best of confidence leading into the 5K. Which was fine. This event is hosted by the Hamel Lions and it is a very low key affair. No awards. No chip timing. You just run for the sheer joy of it. Or, as much as a Minnesota winter will allow one to enjoy. But it wasn't bad. It was 26F, cloudy, and a nominal wind out of the west at about 5 MPH.

I like this event because it is so low key. And with the simple route sprinkled with a few rollers it is a great event for getting in a nice tempo run with some fellow runners. Nothing like locking pace with a group of people and have that race pace settle right back in.

And I have raved about the race T-shirts for years now. Every year is a different color, and all the previous race day temperatures are shown on one sleeve. And old-fashioned cotton, which is good as I'm only four or five shirts away from having enough for finally making a queen sized quilt with my collected cotton race T-shirts.

Joining me at this 5K for the first time were the Boy® and Well Kept Wife™. Each has also been dealing with limited running this winter. My wife has sinus surgery not that long ago and the Boy® has been spending his time swimming on the Life Time Fitness swim team with State Finals coming up the last weekend of this month. But each did respectable with the Boy® running a 25:30 and the WKW™ running a 28:49. Not that far off their personal bests at this distance of 24:34 and 25:58 respectfully.

I was sort of targeting to go under 21-minutes knowing the shape I was in. Jump back to a 5K I did in Fargo in October where I ran a 18:03, and you get the picture where my confidence was.

I just floated thru the 1-mile mark right at 6 minutes and I was already breathing pretty hard. At that point it was more due to my sinus passages being still blocked up than the shape I was in, but I was with the leading pack of four runners at that point. From there, I simply faded.

Overall, with all things considered, I'm happy with the result. I know I can still run sub-6's, at least for one mile, and I just need to work back into shape so that I can get back to sub 6's for three miles. And I have all spring to get back into shape.

Next Event:

Not totally sure. I may try to find some other local events yet this month. But I'm planning on the St. Patrick's Day 5K in Fargo on March 17.