Run with the Little Giants 5K

This was my first race since I moved to Northwest Ohio and my twelfth straight on the Fourth of July.  The race started and ended near the Fremont Recreation Center and benefited the local high school track team.  My training has been pretty lackluster due to the move earlier this month.  I've been able to get into a slight groove the past few weeks, but I'm nowhere close to being in tip top shape.  Plus it was extremely hot and humid this morning.

The entire race was held on the bike path outside the Rec Center.  I don't have much in the way of splits (except for the turnaround) as the miles were not marked.  We started out at a very conservative pace due to the heat.  I felt decent at the beginning but knew better than to push the pace.  Most of the runners were high school/junior high age and I tried to stick with the second pack of runners.  I really just wanted to place in my age group and not worry about my time.

We continued on the bike path to the Sandusky River.  This was a nice part of the course as we made our way over the river, made a left turn, and ran along the river into a park.  I clocked in at 11:18 at the turnaround point within the park.  It was pretty obvious that I was not going to run anywhere near the 21s at this race.  My legs were feeling weaker with every step and the sun beat down on us for the one mile portion after crossing the river and coming back.  I actually took water during this race which is something I never do during a 5k.  Judging by the number of cups on the path, lots of other runners were doing the same.  I tried to finish strong but didn't push it too much.  Final time- 23:00

This race was okay but I do have one complaint.  There was no water/Gatorade at the finish line.  Temperatures climbed near 100 today and it wasn't comfortable at the start of the race.  We had to walk back to the Rec Center (about a half mile or so) to find anything to drink.  The only thing there was one five gallon jug of Gatorade.  That's it.  Not acceptable for a race being held in July.  Otherwise, the course and most of the organization was fine.  I did run well enough to win second place in my age group.

Next Race: Flirt with Dirt Trail 5k- Findlay, OH