I’m three years removed from my last good 5km race. Today, I ran my two best 5 km of the year. Still, 11 minutes slower than that 2023 race.
The 2023 Salute to Veterans 5km used the same course as the Gus 5km; my finish time was 27:04, with a chip time of 26:56. I finished 68th overall, 49th among males, and 8th in the 60-69-year-old male category.
Bob Gurtler passed away four years ago. He ran many of the races that I timed between 2007 and 2020. Duane Williamson has managed a memorial race for Bob for the past three years. The Bob Gurtler Memorial 5 km started at 8 am in The Plains, and the Gus 5km started at 10 am from Fred Nats Stadium. The travel time between The Plains and the stadium is 61 minutes. With my anticipated finish time, I knew I could make it to the Gus 5km start line with 5 minutes to spare. That was without breaking the “5 is fine, 10 you’re mine” rule.
The combination of Flecainide and the beta blocker I take provides benefits, but with some issues. The rhythm-smoothing effects reduce PACs and reduce my perceived heart rate. The drugs slow my heart rate and reduce my blood pressure. The most noticeable side effect is tired legs after running for more than 30 seconds, which improves when I walk. My legs get tired before my heart rate hits 140 bpm.
This week I bought a countdown timer watch that vibrates when a cycle ends. My Garmin can do the same thing; however, I would not know exactly why it was vibrating without looking at it. I wore the Garmin on my right wrist and the countdown timer on my left. I set the countdown timer to vibrate every 130 seconds. At the end of each cycle, I would run 30 to 70 paces, depending on the course grade. I also set my Garmin only to record manual splits. I’m eight months into recovery and was not concerned with an accelerated heart rate. My Garmin alarm was set at 142 bpm.
The Gus 5km finishes inside the Fred Nats Stadium and is the eleventh race in the 2026 Coldwell Banker Elite Grand Prix.
In the week leading up to the Bob Gurtler Memorial 5km, I asked on Facebook if the race was going to start on time. The timer said, “Yes.” When I arrived on race day, I confirmed my request. They actually started one minute early, and I finished six minutes faster than expected. When I got in my car, my maps application indicated an eta of 9:45 am. I made it to the Expo Center parking lot 16 minutes before start time.
As I walked into the stadium, the large group of people was walking toward the start line. I had time to use the bathroom and walk to the start. But I missed the FARC group picture. I tried to stage myself toward the back.
It was a sunny fall morning, 55 degrees, a 40-degree dew point, and 9 mph winds. I wore shorts over compression shorts, my blue FARC singlet over a long-sleeved shirt, a ball cap, gloves, and my Saucony Triumph 24 shoes.
The race director fired the starter’s pistol on time; I started my Garmin and countdown timer, and we were off. I started running and was still running after 40 paces when my patellar tendon strap came off. I moved to the sidewalk, adjusted the PT band, and continued walking on the sidewalk, letting people run past. After the initial downhill, we turned uphill onto Carl Silver Parkway.
On the uphill, I ran 30 paces when my timer vibrated. Once on the flat, I ran 50 paces.
After turning onto Gordon Shelton Boulevard, we headed downhill. I continued the 50-pace repeats. I completed the first mile in 12:51.
Reaching the slave museum memorial garden, we turned around and headed uphill. I reduced to 30-pace repeats uphill until it flattened. I covered the second mile in 12:42.
I took advantage of the long downs in the final mile. Instead of counting paces, when I got close to the hill before the roundabout, I ran to the bottom and did the same on the hill to the road behind the stadium.
When my countdown timer vibrated at the stadium entrance gate, I decided to run the last 300 meters to the finish.
We went through the external access gate onto the field by the left foul pole. Mile 3 was right after the entrance, and my time was 12:01. My last tenth of a mile was 54 seconds.
My finish time was 38:30. I finished 141st overall, 70th among males, and 12th out of 12 in the 60+ male category. I scored enough Grand Prix points to move me into first place in the 70 to 74 age group for the series. With the other runners in the age group not running the last race of the series, the Blue Gray Half-Marathon, I somehow captured an age-group gold.
I was happy with my result and strong finish. It was my fastest 5km of the year. My heart rate maxed at 144 in the final stretch and averaged 125 bpm. My Garmin distance was 3.16 miles. My max heart rate alarm did not go off, as I hit 144 as I crossed the finish line.
This race marked my eleventh finish in the 2026 Coldwell Banker Elite Grand Prix, and my current finish streak stands at 81 races.