First 5k Win this Past Weekend

A moment of narcissistic indulgence. I got my first 5k win of my life (really the first win at any distance). It felt pretty good. And, I completely realize that this win was due more to the field than to my own abilities. It was a small 5k trail run, called the Turtle Trek. This was my third time running the event in the four years the race has been around. It is about 67% on trails at Marshy Point Nature Center, and it goes to benefit the Katie and Wil Brady Foundation. In the past, it has supported the construction of Katie and Wil's Trail, and now they are working to link the trails at Marshy Point with those of nearby Gunpowder State Park... a worthy goal, indeed.

At the gun, we were led out by a guy on a mountain bike who was going to ride at the head through all the trails. After the first quarter mile, I looked around and there was no one anywhere near me... This actually unnerved me because I had never been in that situation before. I knew were moving about 5:30 pace or so, which for me, is flying. We did a lap of the parking lot and then ducked onto the trail. I actually talked to the biker for a few sentences just to calm my nerves. At a hairpin turnaround, I saw that I had about 20 seconds on second place, and just continued to push. My first mile, according to the watch was 6:03. From then, I just focused on avoiding rocks, roots, and tree trunks. I had to keep my feet and hips shifting to stay balanced and weave on some of the trails. The surface was basically fallen leaves, hiding all the rocks. My finishing time was 19:05, which was 20 seconds faster than I had run this course two years ago. So, I was happy to have improved on that time. The next runner was the female winner at 22:01, and I saw her as doubled back on some of the trail to find my girlfriend, M. I got a nice Under Armour sweatshirt out of it. M finished third female and had a good time running.

Alright, now that I got that self-indulgence over with, I'll thank all of the volunteers and sponsors that put on that race. It really is a good cause, and they all worked very hard. They have a fun run for the kids, and lots of door prizes afterwards. I spoke with the woman who ran the event, and thanked her for holding a true trail 5k because it is different from all the other 5ks that everyone else has. Next year, I hope to get a few more people to run it, as they really deserve a larger field, and one that can kick my butt.