Week #6 of my training plan is done! Today’s race was a 5K charity event hosted by Harrigan’s Tavern of Kettering, OH. The event is in its 10th or 11th year and let me tell you folks….. There will be many more years to come! This is an awesome event and today’s turn-out was phenomenal! I listened to the race announcer and we had about 1,000 registered participants! Wow! I highly recommend this event if you are ever in the Dayton-Kettering, OH area during St Patrick’s Day!
Harrigan’s Tavern
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I had a hard time getting out of bed this morning. I also found it difficult to get going once I got out of bed….. I am not a morning person (or morning runner) on weekends. I quickly got going and departed for Kettering (an easy 20-minute drive from my house). I was expecting more traffic and less parking once I arrived; I guess I got there a little early! Well, it’s all good! I was able to buy a t-shirt and some items for the boys….. The temp was around 38f and winds were light (but I was still cold).
I looked up the course map last night and wasn't familiar with the area….. The course has a lot of turns and weaves its way through one of the adjoining neighborhoods. I wasn’t worried about getting lost though, because I was sure to be following somebody (there were some fast runners out there today). Also, they had volunteers on the course directing you to through the turns (thanks)! “Speedy Feet” (of Dayton, OH) sponsored the timing chips (a nice feature for race timing & accuracy). "Up and Running" (of Dayton, OH) and the USAF Marathon Team had booth-tables with stuff. The Ohio State Highway Patrol (I believe) provided a helicopter “fly-by” and Kettering Police had motorcycle and vehicle patrolmen. There were course volunteers at every turn and a water station midway. A well-planned local 5K!
GPS Garmin 305 overlay (on Google Earth)
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I got off to a good start. There were several distinct race packs running at various paces. I ran a decent pace and kept with one of the packs as best as I could. I had some trouble getting up the hills but enjoyed running down them! I didn’t really look down at my GPS much at all today. I knew that I was running a slightly faster pace and tried to keep up with a small group of runners. I found the new pace to be comfortable but there was no way that I could hold this pace for my half-marathon in May.
Finish line and NEW 5K PR!
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My finish time was 24:15 (unofficial). I am awaiting timing chip finish times (I don’t know when or where they will be posted). I’ll post it later once I find it! Anyways, this was a very fun event and today’s distance puts me over the 200-mile mark for 2011 (blessed and thankful)!
I didn’t see anyone that I recognized or knew, but it was nice to run with other people in this event. I had a good time joking around and laughing with this nice old man wearing jeans. He appeared to be a 50+ year-old man, local to the area, and this may have been his first 5K of the season..... He claimed that he was going to be the fastest in the “50-year old, wearing jeans category.” I’ll admit, he was pretty fast and I passed him up two or three times on the course today! He would run, and then walk….. Again: a 50+ year old man (wearing jeans) and outrunning me? Unreal….. I have no excuse.
Thanks for the visit and be safe! I am now half way through my training plan! “On track, target in sight and I see the finish line!”
PS: results posted: I was #136 out of 921 (overall), and #11 out of 92 age group (35-39). Chip time: 24:07 (PR)! Happy running and God bless!
"Fight the good fight, finish the race, and always keep faith"
2 Timothy 4:7
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