A noncompetitive 5K Walk/Run event is held along with the Marathon and Half-Marathon events. Teresa and I chose to run the 5K along with thousands of others. Before the race it was announced that over 16,000 people were participating in one of the day's events.
Everything that I might dislike about a race start was rolled into this one event. It was too early, too dark, too cold, too wet and way too many people. From the time the clock started for the competitive marathon and half marathon it was almost 16:00 before Teresa and I got across the start line.
Walkers are dangerous. Significantly dangerous when massed together and turned loose as cattle.
My main focus for the first mile was too keep Teresa safe from all that was going on around her since this was her first race. She was timid about maneuvering around the walkers so I took the lead and would put my shoulder to good use if my shouts of "Runner on your left" or "Traffic on your right" was not heeded. Entire families had lined up 5-6 across and apparently did not understand the notion that they had to share the asphalt with others. I saw more than one runner chase up the heels of a walker that chose to change direction without warning. Luckily Teresa and I avoided those issues.
I have no idea what our split times were but tried to keep myself at 11:00/mile (by estimating with my watch since I had stashed the iPod away in my pocket) or under as long as I didn't feel any strain on the legs. Definitely made an effort to push on the long hills including the one at the 2.5 mile mark. Really felt smooth running and knew my pace was better than usual ...
...until I charged ahead and crossed the finish line.
When I looked at my watch it said 35:15! That was unbelievable given the way I had been running and the long sprint I made at the end. Teresa finished about 20-30 seconds behind me and commented that it sure felt longer than the 5K that she had been running at home. Looking at my iPod it said the distance was 3.26 miles so I am not sure if the course was long (my guess since it was a noncompetitive event) or all the weaving cost us the extra distance. If I accept the 3.26 distance then my pace was 10:48/mi which matched what I was feeling and had estimated with my watch during the race.
No official times of course so I will go with the 35:15 as my time for the event and believe that I may have run something less.
I talked to lots of folks that did the 5-person relay marathon and am committed to having a team that runs that event next year with me on the middle 12K leg.
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