My 2023 performance at this race was my last age group podium. I finished 83rd overall in 27:14 and third in the male 60- to 69-year-old age group. Two weeks later, my health issues struck, and now I’m happy with any finish that does not exasperate any symptoms.
This race has a challenging course. In 2022, it was modified to eliminate “Hell Hill.” Still, if the road is not going up, it is going down. And there are 282 feet up the bottom of Hell Hill.
I arrived at the Rouse Center about an hour before the scheduled start time. I wanted to run a 25-minute warmup and keep 15 minutes to hit the bathroom, put on my singlet, and get to the start, so I needed to start my run at 7:50 am.
On-time, I headed out to warm up, going to the mile race turnaround location and back, running 30 paces every 3 minutes and a couple of longer segments.
The temperature at 8:45 am was 58 degrees with a dew point of 54 degrees, clear skies, and no wind. I wore my usual attire for these conditions: shorts over compression shorts, a FARC singlet, a ball cap, gloves, and my Saucony Triumph 21 shoes. As a Halloween race, I wore a red singlet to dress as Bob Gurtler. I tied an overshirt around my waist as a precaution.
I arrived a few minutes before the scheduled start time, stood in the sun for the national anthem, and headed for the start corral. There were about 200 runners in front of me. Too many were young kids.
My goals were to finish, run every step, and keep my heart rate under 140. A sub-11-minute-per-mile pace would be an extra.
After the gun, I ran comfortably up the first hill and down to the 1/2 mile mark. I clicked my watch where I noticed the mile turnaround location on my warmup.
During the first mile, I had to navigate many costumed roadblocks. Some went out too fast, and others were running as a group.
I went through 1/2 Mile at 5:15 and 1 Mile at 10:23. However, my heart monitor alert pulsed many times, warning me of a rate higher than 140. I didn’t want to slow down and was not breathing hard, so I kept looking at my monitor for a rate exceeding 150.
Continuing past mile one, this part appears to be the flattest. It is not with a few rolls. The 2-mile mark is at the bottom of Embrey Mill Road, and my second mile is 10:59, with a heart rate between 140 and 150.
I ran up Hell Hill at a constant but not pressing pace.
After turning onto Mine Road, there is a brief down, followed by an up, down to the 1/2 mile to-go location, an extended up, and then down to the finish.
I reduced my pace a little on the ups and kept my cadence up. My third mile was 10:56. My heart rate stayed between 140 and 150.
In the last tenth of a mile, I may have pushed the final hill too hard, as my heart rate peaked at 154.
The last tenth in 61 seconds. My finish time was 33:23 for 208th overall, 121st Male, and 7th male 60 to 69. I met two of my three goals with the bonus.
I walked back to my car to cool down, eating a Krispy Kreme Original Glazed on the way. After changing shirts, I drove to Charlotteville for the noon game between UVA and UNC.
Another 5km race is next Sunday.