Woo Hoo, I finally achieved an official sub 20 5K! The conditions were perfect, nice and sunny and not too warm.  A nice rootbeer float waited for me at the finish 🙂

Official Time: 19:43 (6:20 pace)
Race Number: 939
Ranking: Overall – 42/611
Distance: 3.11 (3.11 garmin) Nike+ – 3.08
Temperature: low 60’s
Starting: Coopersmith’s Pub in downtown Ft Collins
Ending: Coopersmith’s Pub in downtown Ft Collins
Start Time: 8:03 AM
Ending Time: 8:23 AM
Gear: Shorts, short sleeve tech shirt (1Miletogo Relay Shirt), injinji socks, Nike Jasari’s, Forerunner 305.
Nutrition: Breakfast = Oatmeal, golden Raisins, honey
Nutrition: Pre-Race = supplements (endurolytes, anti-fatigue, sportslegs, race caps).
Nutrition: During Race = Quencher gum
Splits: (Based on Garmin Forerunner)

Mile 1 – 6:14
Mile 2 – 6:21
Mile 3 – 6:27
.11 – 0:44
5K – 19:46 (19:43 Official)

Pre-Race: 

Saturday: Signed up at Runners Roost in Fort Collins.

Race Day:

4:30 A.M. – Got up and prepped.

5:00 A.M. – Ran an easy 4 miles.

5:30 A.M. – Breakfast & Shower.

7:15 A.M.  – Drove the 2 miles to race start.  Met a couple friends at the start, talked grabbed some water & stretched.

7:55 A.M. – There was a little confusion where the start was, we all ended up moving a few hundred yards down the road.

8:03 A.M. – The race started a few minutes late.

Race:

I was standing on the start line and everyone was getting ready, you know the usual looking at our watches and getting ready to push start.  Someone behind me said I will be following him, 1Miletogo 🙂 Some cones had to be moved out of the road, and then people started running.  I guess the race started and we started to run after them.  I was pacing with a friend, Aaron, so that we could both go sub 20.  The course had a few very sharp turns, but I took them in stride.

We ran down the road and spun at the first 180 degree turn heading back down the other side of the road.  I waved to a friend, Steve, pushing his two kids in a stroller and continued on.  The race route then took a 90 degree turn and we started the long stretch down Remington Street.

Everything was going well, I started a little fast, but that happens with any race.  We passed the 800m mark of the race.  The first male & female to pass that point would get 2 round trip Southwest Airlines tickets and $100 cash bonus, it wasn’t me.  I settled into the 6:20ish pace that I was aiming for and we passed the 1 Mile mark.  Aaron was pacing me and he came close to a course cone and had to jump over it.

A little way down the road was some heavy construction.  It seems that recently there was a water main break.  The course went around it and I continued on.  At the halfway mark the course turned and we headed down the other side of Remington Street.  I passed the Aide station without fueling and continued on.  Aaron was a few paces behind me as I continued down Remington and soon saw the 2 Mile mark. 

I saw Steve pushing the stroller and he shouted something to me and I waved.  I found out later he said 41.  He had counted how many people were ahead of me.  Not too bad.  I started to feel a little fatigued, but I continued on, I had to go sub 20 minutes on this run.

With less than 400 meters to go, I exited Remington back onto Mountain Street.  I looked at my watch and saw that I was at 18:20.  I could do it.  I ran down Mountain and did the 180 degree turn and then headed toward the finish.  I saw Aaron waving to me on the other side, he said you have it, I knew that I would be able to get the sub 20.  My Garmin beeped right after the finish line.  It had to be the closest Garmin had been to the actual race distance that I have seen so far, almost perfect.

Post-Race:

I went through the finish shoot and grabbed a cup of water.  I waited for Aaron, he was about 30 seconds behind me.  He just missed the sub 20, he had some stomach issues around mile 1, but pushed through for a good finish.

We soon parted ways and I saw Steve come through the finish line with his kids.  His wife met him and they congratulated me for going under 20.  We grabbed a water bottle and a rootbeer float.  It is amazing how good ice cream and cold rootbeer taste after running. 

Race Map:

Race Splits:

Race Elevation:

Nike+ Graph: