2011 Spartan Fund Run 5K in Solon, Iowa

I knew on Friday, the day before the race, that on Saturday morning in Solon it would be cold. Not freezing, but nice and chilly at around 55 degrees, which in my opinion is PERFECT running weather. I also knew that this course for this race was flat from what I had read. So I was excited for the possibility to get a new personal record. I dressed that morning in running skins and shorts over top and a tank top with a running coat over top. I knew I wouldn't run in the running coat, but as the race approached I was cold, so I found a jacket to run in that I could just throw to the ground around mile 1 or so where a volunteer of the race could bring it back to the school. This way I would be warm, but not too hot and be able to run fast.

The course ended up being nice and flat with only a couple tiny hills that really couldn't be called hills. I ran super fast, well as fast as I felt I could go and accomplished an 8:33 first mile and a 17:27 time at mile two. That third mile is always difficult for me, but I wanted a new personal record so badly that I ran super fast trying to catch my friend who was just a few hundred feet ahead of me. I must have been running and over doing it more than I thought because when I came within 2 car lengths of Stephany my body said no and I had to walk about 10 steps to regain breathing control. I feel that it was these 10 steps of walking that cost me my 6 seconds.

Either way I haven't seen a 5K time of mine in the 27 minute range all summer, so to finish at 27:16 was very exciting.  I'm glad I finished without passing out and I'm glad I did well for my age!

Here are the final stats:
Time 27:16 Mile pace of 8:46 minute mile
I placed 5th of 13 in my age group of 30-39
18th of 66 Women and 38th of 120 total people.

Here is the breakdown of the 13 times in my age group,and I share this because usually (at least the last 10 races, I've been at a 29 and 30 minute time)and had I done my "usual/comfortable pace time" then I would have been 10th or 11th place. I tried extra hard to do better this time.  Now I know I need to work on mile splits to become faster.  There is always that "What if I hadn't walked those 10 steps?"  But then again, maybe I would have passed out.  Either way when you see this list below of how far away I was from 3rd/4th even if I had sprinted at the end, I wouldn't have come in 3rd and that is just okay with me.


1st 24:17--33 years old
2nd 25:23--34 years old
3rd 25:47--37 years old
4th 25:47--38 years old
5th 27:16--39 years old ME
6th 28:22--32 years old
7th 28:59--35 years old
8th 29:17--33 years old
9th 29:30--39 years old
10th 29:43--32 years old
11th 30:00--36 years old
12th 36:10--31 years old
13th 36:21--36 years old

Stephany and I before the race.

Our race shirt.  I think it's a very interesting design.

The famous picture of ourselves taken in the car.

My race number