Race: 5 Peaks Horseshoe Resort
Date: Saturday September 22, 2007.
Location: Horseshoe Resort, Ontario
Description: Sport – 5.6 km
Website: www.5peaks.com/home.asp
If you haven’t done a 5 Peaks race, you must do so. I am sure once you do that you will be back to race with them again.
The Race
- This race reminded me why I don’t truly enjoy running races below 10 km, it hurts too darn much.
- I took off with the “competitive” wave more for the convenience of not having to weave through a bunch of traffic. It turned out that I was not out of place because athletes were nicely spaced all around and had not taken off on me. The first 2 km was fairly quick (4:05 /km pace), for me anyway, but after that the fun really started for me.
- All of a sudden I started getting shin splints on my left side (the side with the achy knee and achilles). I haven’t had this pain since I started running over 14 years ago. It was quite puzzling and it came right when the slight uphill sections of this course kicked in. I almost wussed out and walked up but pride kicked in and I toughed it out until the end. I did the 5.6 trail run in 26:50 (36th overall, 6th in the 30-39 age group).
- This was one of the most painful, challenging, and yet satisfying experiences I’ve ever had. I’d much rather do an Ironman over this type of red-line effort. And while I am in my chill mode right now and for the next few months, this race also confirmed to me that I need to improve my running over the winter and drop another 10+ pounds.
Other stuff
- After the race, I did some volunteer duties and spent a little over an hour sweeping the 5.6 km Sport course. I basically picked up all of the course markers (and there was ton of them) and cheered on a few of the longer course finishers.
- 5 Peaks knows how to put on a trail run. Registration is quick, the course is clearly marked, lots of “healthy” post race food, a cool touque in the goody bag, the results are posted quicky, and there was lots of cool draw prizes (which I mostly missed out on due to me sweeping the course–darn).
- As I said at the beginning, you must do one (or more) of the 5 Peaks races. This was my first and despite all the pain, it will not be my last.
Up next: Scotiabank 1/2 (2 hour 10 and 1 Pace Bunny)
