Saturday, August 26, 2006
Habitat for Humidity 5K
Marietta, Ga
#1321 5K 22:55
Age Group: 5 Overall: 77
results - map
Weather conditions were, as they say, hot and humid. Running this race was a last minute decision. I thought seriously about going down to Stone Mountain to do a long run, but I decided to put that off a day and get in a speed workout instead. The sky was overcast and the temperature already climbing when the race started at 7:30. The race started in the parking lot, then turned left (east) on Lower Roswell Road. The race makes a left onto Woodlawn drive, turns right onto Johnson’s Ferry, and then turns right back onto Lower Roswell Road to return to the church, and finally right into the parking lot to return to the finish. The section of the course going in and out of the church parking lot seemed a bit constricted, but the course itself was mostly flat with just a few gentle hills. Part of the course is the same used by the Polar Bear Run I ran in January.
The race was well organized, good facilities, plenty of voulunteers, and good traffic control. Although I had a few gripes. They gave the shirts out before the race, whihc meant a return trip to the car to stow them. (And part of the fun of finishing a race is to go claim your shirt AFTER finishing. I was really annoyed that the volunteers calling out the split time did a poor job. The one at the first mile marker in particular seemed more interested in watching the runners than calling out times. The second gripe was the way they scheduled the morning: there was no way I was going to wait around for the awards. They did the 5K at 7:30, a fun run at 8:30, and then a tot trot at 9:00 I suspect very few of the 5K runners were willing to wait.
I was happy with my performance. I ran a steady 7:21 pace the entire way and had enough kick left at the finish to pass some folks and fend off a fellow runner who really put some pressure on me for the last half-mile or so. We high-fived each other after we crossed the finish line in recognition of each other's efforts.
#1321 5K 22:55
Age Group: 5 Overall: 77
results - map
Weather conditions were, as they say, hot and humid. Running this race was a last minute decision. I thought seriously about going down to Stone Mountain to do a long run, but I decided to put that off a day and get in a speed workout instead. The sky was overcast and the temperature already climbing when the race started at 7:30. The race started in the parking lot, then turned left (east) on Lower Roswell Road. The race makes a left onto Woodlawn drive, turns right onto Johnson’s Ferry, and then turns right back onto Lower Roswell Road to return to the church, and finally right into the parking lot to return to the finish. The section of the course going in and out of the church parking lot seemed a bit constricted, but the course itself was mostly flat with just a few gentle hills. Part of the course is the same used by the Polar Bear Run I ran in January.
The race was well organized, good facilities, plenty of voulunteers, and good traffic control. Although I had a few gripes. They gave the shirts out before the race, whihc meant a return trip to the car to stow them. (And part of the fun of finishing a race is to go claim your shirt AFTER finishing. I was really annoyed that the volunteers calling out the split time did a poor job. The one at the first mile marker in particular seemed more interested in watching the runners than calling out times. The second gripe was the way they scheduled the morning: there was no way I was going to wait around for the awards. They did the 5K at 7:30, a fun run at 8:30, and then a tot trot at 9:00 I suspect very few of the 5K runners were willing to wait.
I was happy with my performance. I ran a steady 7:21 pace the entire way and had enough kick left at the finish to pass some folks and fend off a fellow runner who really put some pressure on me for the last half-mile or so. We high-fived each other after we crossed the finish line in recognition of each other's efforts.
