5K Pain - Dawg Dash Race Report

And I thought a 10K was hard.

As our last "intensity" workout before the big race this weekend, Jill thought it would be great for us to do a 5K race. The last big kick before a week of taper, coming in to the Half Ironman.

5Ks are tough because they're short enough that you pretty much just run all out for the entire race. Unfortunately, they're also long enough that it hurts. Alot.

Well, fortunately or unfortunately for us, the 21st Annual Dawg Dash was this weekend. The kick off to the University of Washington's homecoming celebration, the Dawg Dash typically draws hundreds of students & alumni (and their dogs) to campus to participate in either the 5K or 10K run. This weekend was no exception, especially since the weather was SO outstanding!

The day started out brisk - it was only in the 40s - but the sky was clear blue and the sun was shining. We got to the stadium just before 8:30, and they were already doing packet pick up. I grabbed our numbers, chips & t-shirts, and headed back to the car to meet up with Jason. We spent some time stretching in the sun, ditched our warm up clothes and headed in to the stadium where the start / finish area was.

A quick stop at the restrooms, then we did a series of pickups on the track (with a bunch of other very serious looking runners). I was starting to get nervous about this whole race thing - I'd say my Little Dog was barking a little too loudly for my comfort! They even had to delay the start of the race because there were so many day of race registrants - the line was huge!

Finally, we got lined up in the start area - the race was big enough that they had pace signs, so I lined up squarely between the 7:00 mile & 8:00 mile signs. Based on my 10K time, I knew I should be doing roughly 7:30s (though that was an entirely frightening thought), so that's where I headed. We listened to the national anthem, and then it was time to go. Man, was I nervous!!

The gun went off, and it took a few seconds to get to the start line. I thought I hit the start button on my HRM, but as I was to find out later, I apparently hit it twice. We headed around the track and out of the stadium, and then began the gradual 1.5+ mile climb up through campus. Right away I was pushing hard - I was nervous that I wouldn't get my heart rate up fast enough (ha!) but nervous that I wouldn't be able to maintain it. My legs felt like jelly for the first 1/4 mile, despite the warm up that we'd done.

But pretty soon we rounded the outside corner of the stadium, and I forgot all about the nervous legs. My heart was pounding, and I glanced down to see 149 on my HRM. Hoo boy - that was higher than I was planning, I tried to dial it back a hair, but it was a futile effort, because now it was time to head up up the stairs and over the pedestrian footbridge over Montlake Blvd. A short stint along the Burke (maybe 30 yards?) and then up the gravel path past Drumheller Fountain. This was a steady climb through campus, through the quad, around the buildings, downhill, then up again. The whole time there was a 10 or 12 year old kid just off my shoulder. He would surge and fade periodically throughout the race - coming around me on one side or the other. He would fade on the steep hills, then surge again on the downs (maybe he was smarter than I) but even when he was behind me, I could hear his labored breathing. We were suffering through this together.

Finally we came back to the fountain (Mile 2 - I'd started my watch again at the 1 Mile mark, and now it read 7:30) and turned right to head back down toward the stadium. One more mile to go - and I felt like I was dying. Back down the Burke and over the foot bridge - the steep down and turn and down the stairs was tough to navigate at speed with not much control. The the long slog around the stadium.

Turning back in, people around me started to surge. I didn't want to go too early - my 10 year old shadow cut past me on the sharp turn onto the final straight away. Darn it - I couldn't let him beat me! I put it all out there, sprinting, leaning forward, pushing across the final timing mat.

Phew! I really had nothing left - I had to gasp for a bit before I could walk over & take off my timing chip. I had managed to stop my watch - for the final 2.1 miles, I clocked 15:14. Ouch.

Eventually we met up with my brother & sister-in-law, and played with my niece Gabrielle on the field, and then headed down to U Village for brunch. We didn't hang out for the awards ceremony - even though I'd finished close behind Jason (whose watch read 21:32), I didn't figure with a field as big as this that either of us had a chance at placing.

I guess I learned my lesson. When the official splits were finally posted, color me surprised when I'd placed THIRD in my age group with a gun time of 22:32!! This even with the age group defined as 30-39 (as opposed to 30-34) and the 5K women's winner being in my age group! I was 21st woman overall -and only missed 20th by 2 seconds.

I guess this means I have to start listening to my Big Dog more often now....