Race Result: 2012 Sweetheart Run 5K

Event: Sweetheart Runs (5K, 10K, 10 miler)
Weather: 24F, winds light out of NNW at 5mph
Goal: Just have a good speed workout
Actual: Officially 19:50 (6:23 per mile pace); Garmin 19:01 (for 2.93 miles).
Overall: 1st (54 total)
Age Group (50-59): 1st (7 total)
Results Link: 5K, 10K, 10-miler
Previous Results: First time at this event

This event was put on by FrontRunner and was a very organized event. Everything ran on time. Communication was great. Results were posted online by the time we returned home. It is so nice when you participate in an event when the race director knows what he/she is doing. There are some local race organizers that over a week later, still haven't posted results. Or check-in is a royal pain-in-the-ass. Not the case here. Only issue was measurement of the course, but we'll cover that later.

Like the Hamel 5K, I was using this event to simply have a nice speed workout as I work myself back into shape after a winter of limited training due to the recent osteoarthritis diagnosis in my left hip. Nothing more, nothing less. I was winding down my first solid week of training (11+ hours) and this was a nice way to cap it all off. Not to mention try and drop those extra 10-lbs I somehow gained over the holidays.

There were three events all told. Most of the Big Dawgs ran the 10K or 10-milers which lead the Boy to utter as we lined up for the 5K, "Dad, you're going to win this easy." My little Nostradamus.

The 5K started and I was left to myself almost immediately. The Boy indicated he tried to hang with me for "about 30-seconds" and then I heard no more footsteps. And if you look at the results, you'll see another young lad (of 12 years of age!!) took 2nd overall. So I had no one to pursue or to push me and was left to push myself into a good effort.

But the purpose was really just to try and get the legs back underneath me so I can be racing low 18's in the 5K by the time the multi-sport season opens. Unlike Hamel where I went out too fast for the shape I'm in, I tried to keep the per mile pace more consistent. And I think I did that. I didn't nearly have the fade I had two weeks prior. And the legs felt much more solid.

The course itself was short by about two tenths of a mile. My Garmin read 19:01 as I crossed the finish line. Once results were posted, I think the race director attempted to correct for the distance shortfall and so the result read 19:50 for me. Using the per mile pace, my time correction would be more accurate at 20:10, but who cares. Low key event. In talking with the 10K overall winner, their race was also a bit short and time corrections were also made.

More consistent splits were the goal

Fairly flat course with some mild rollers

The Well Kept Wife and Boy also had a good showing with each taking home 3rd place in their respective age groups. So the Maas family took home its fair share of winnings.

Nice sized age group medals

Overall win award, an oversized coffee mug

Next Event:

March 10: Becker Community Center Chase a Leprechaun 5K Fun Run/Walk, scene of the pelvic stress fracture from 2011. Lets hope there is no such injury this year.