St. Patricks Day 5k - 1st - 18:57

This was a fun event! Over 200 folks showed up to run in it! Very well organized. My only complaint is the course... It's relatively flat, but it's also REALLY boring. But hey... we're in Idaho... what can you do?

I used this race as a test to see where my running speed was at. I'm currently at the end of my final "base-building" period of the season before I move in to the "build" period. My current fitness is better than where I was at one year ago. I'm excited to see where I will be at by the end of the season!

My PR for a 5K is currently 18:08. I wasn't expecting to beat that, but I was looking to be under 19.

I went swimming over lunch before this race, and I must have been nervous... because I swallowed a bunch of air and was now experiencing stomach cramps.... just before the race. Great......

As we lined up for the race, I sized up a few of the runners who were placing themselves at the front. There was a girl I recognized... who beat me a year ago. I hadn't been running under 20 for a 5k yet... I remembered she was fast, but I didn't remember exactly how fast. Another guy named Tyler, who is training to go into a branch of Air Force Special Tactics (in other words: a beast) was also lining up, along with a few members of the Mountain Home Running Club.

They sounded the horn and we took off. I led the front with Tyler. We gained a small gap by the first quarter mile, and that would be the last anyone would see of us.

Tyler kept me more honest than anyone else I've ever run with. EVER. We blew through mile 1, and approached the turnaround. I kept expecting him to tank, but he didn't. We hit the dead turnaround and I sprinted off. I gained a gap of about 15 feet, but he reeled me back in. NUTS!

We went faster... and faster. My stomach cramps were REALLY complaining now. Tyler stayed right with me. I stayed with him.

But we still had the hill on the way back just before the end...

"I've been running the golf-course a lot in my training. I can do hills. I need to lose him on the hill, or this is going to be a sprint finish."


Go Go Go.

I pulled in front of him as we hit the bottom of the hill. I had ten feet....

...then 20.....

...then 30....

...then 40....

I hit the top, and the finish was an 8th of a mile away. I knew it wasn't over, but I thought I'd done it. I just coaxed myself to go a little bit faster... a little bit longer. The race line was 100m away now.

...then I heard breathing and footsteps behind me....

"Awwwwwwww... he's sprinting..."


I sprinted, toes to the ground, and a pumped the arms. I kept the speed all the way through the finish line. I looked back as Tyler crossed just 20 feet behind me. Whew!!

We shook hands, and I congratulated him. We pushed each other. I'd been feeling like I was going to lose my lunch for the second half of the race, and it took a while for that feeling to go away. The stomach cramps were no help...

But it was a win!! Good test of speed, and an honest assessment of where fitness is at right now. I met my goal of just being under 19 minutes, coming in at 18:57. It went really well!

Thanks so much to my wonderful wife and daughter who stood and waited for me to cross the finish line.

Again, thanks to all of the volunteers and organizers.

Thanks to Hammer Nutrition for helping me stay fueled, and recovered.

And most of all, thanks be to God for allowing me to feel his pleasure when I exert myself on the race course.