Run for Life 5K Race

To say that I hadn't trained well for this race would be an understatement. I've run once in the past week and that was a 4-miler in the Mile High City where I struggled to get enough oxygen in my lungs. I also made poor food choices on my trip to Denver. I've got enough grease in me to keep my insides slippery for a month! So, I intended to go out slow and just take it at a 9'00" pace or slower. 

I loved the fact that my registration fee would go to a great cause - a local ministry that helps women make the right choice in regard to their "unwanted" pregnancies and provides great care, resources and counseling for the men and women involved. The men and women who serve at Life House Pregnancy Center are the best!

My race bib # was 97! I love that number!
It's the year I married Kim!

I had the honor of offering up the prayer before the race began. After saying "Amen," I joined the runners in the middle of the pack as we prepared to begin. I wanted to start the race around folks who wouldn't go out too quickly.

My plan didn't work. The race began and I felt the urge to push it. I wasn't going 'all out' but I was running much faster than I had planned. The hills on the first mile quickly took their toll. I noticed that I was gradually slowing down (and had to take a couple of 3-5 second walking breaks).

It was an 'out and back' course so the hills were waiting on us again at the end of the race. I was so glad that this was only a 3.1 mile race (I checked with another runner and it seems that this course was slightly short - my gps watch measured 3.01 and his measured 3.04). Anyway, close enough.

The race route

Here are the stats:

Official finish time: 25:36
Average pace: 8'14"

Placed 20th out of 144 runners (click link for info)
Placed 13th out of 53 male runners
Placed 2nd out of 15 male runners age 40+