Seafair Torchlight 5K RR (Read 78 times)

Race: Seafair Torchlight 5K - July27, 2013 – Seattle, WA – 6:30 PM start – Sunny and mid-70s

I’ve been running regularly but haven’t raced since … gulp … December of 2009.   A family friend talked us in to running this one.  DD and I registered initially and later DS decided he wanted to run.  Seafair is a week-long, pirate-themed celebration of summer in Seattle, so I donned a skull-and-crossbones bandana and pair of orange and black Kinvara 2 (450+ miles) to go with the race’s black tech tee.

The race featured a co-mingled start for both the 5K and an 8K.  The announcer said they were expecting 4000 runners.  Some in our group were willing to wait for the crowd to thin before starting but I had almost 3.5 years of pent-up energy so I joined the masses and crossed the timing mat 1:15 after the horn.

I broke a number of rules during the race.  I was all over the place early trying to find an opening, and did not run the tangents well at all.  My goal was to have fun, enjoy the scene, and come in somewhere around 22 minutes.

The course incorporates part of the Torchlight Parade route and the streets were lined with people … and barbecues  … and - oddly - hundreds of sofas and easy chairs for viewing the parade in comfort.  Kids were standing in the street looking for high-fives, so I obliged.  I was energized by the crowd and running well.

I hit the two-mile mark at 14:20 by my watch, not realizing that the time included the initial 1:15 prior to the mat.  The last mile included two short, stout hills.  I shortened my stride and hit them hard and made a sprint for the finish line, stopping the watch shortly after I crossed: it read 21:05.  After a bottle of water I looked at the watch again to see the smaller lap split above the total: 19:50.

We found the official results on-line later at dinner. My chip time was 19:46,  good for 8^th in the M 40-49 Division, of which I am at the higher end.   It felt great to run hard.

I went back out to the course and finished the race with DD for the photo opportunity.

DS finished in 27:XX and DD in 33:XX.  Both are sore today.

Thanks for reading, mates!

great job ! & that is a very warm evening by  Seattle standards even for this time of year.   been one of the best summers that I can remember weatherwise.  you may have encouraged me to join the party next year

Ahoy there matey! Nothing like bonding with your kids through running (were they impressed by your time??). 19:50 is very cool. Congrats!