Phoenix 5K Race Report

One of the benefits of visiting Eva in Phoenix is that “winter” for her means 70 degrees on a cold day.  Of course I took advantage of the gorgeous temperatures as much as possible and even signed up for a local 5K and set up a bike rental for the weekend.  I called my new Phoenix training partner in crime, Darren, and he graciously agreed to accompany for both these ventures.

Bright and early Saturday morning, Darren and I met up at Papago Park for the Women’s Business All the Way 5K.  It was the second year for this fun run to raise money for  business start-up loans for area women.  The race was an out and back and very relaxed – no chip timing and the race director counted down from three to signal the start.

Darren took off and was soon out of sight.  I had expected this and warned him before we began that I wasn’t even going to try to match him!  Instead, I settled in at a comfortable pace enjoying the lightness of my Brooks T6 Racers.  Nothing like racing flats to make you feel fast!  I was a little worried about shin pain running on a sidewalk in flats, but happily it didn’t bother me at all.

The first part of the race, one of the high school cross country runners from a local team was hot on my heels.  We hit a series of rollers and for a while I thought her gangly legs and youthful abandon on the downhills were going to get the best of me, but in the end she was no match for my crush-you-like-a-walnut cyclist thighs on the uphills.  I pulled a way and for the rest of the race I was chasing a pack of cross country boys with a large enough gap behind me and the next runner that I couldn’t hear his footsteps.

About a hundred people showed up for the race and speedy Darren ended up second place overall.

I finished a few minutes later claiming 8th overall and first place female! I’ve never won a running race before, so it was great to taste victory, even if it was a small race.  In addition, there were almost as many medals as there were finishers – I ended up getting one for overall finisher and another for winning my age group, plus a $15 gift certificate for a RoadID.  The race organizers were so nice and it was great to see so many new 5K runners and walkers finish the race.  There were quite a few people along the course and people who finished stuck around to congratulate the people coming in.  If I end up in Phoenix again this time next year I’ll definitely do it again!