Spring Lake 5 Race Report

6:00AM on Saturday morning, I could hear the rain pounding against that windows.  I rolled over and fell back asleep.  6:15AM, I woke up again and the rain seemed to have eased up quite a bit...I fell back asleep again.  6:30AM, I got up, let the dog out, and saw that it wasn't raining anymore...but it didn't look like it is was going to hold off for much longer.  I pondered just climbing back into bed with my wife and just bagging the Spring Lake 5, but I knew that I had to do it.  My wife on the other hand had made the choice to stay behind and not run it, telling me later that she needed to hang back to watch the kids because my sister-in-law wasn't feeling well.  No worries, looks like it was just going to be me and Rick (my BIL) heading up. 

7:05AM - Rick and I hit the road.  I grabbed Gatorade and an apple pie for my pre-race meal at WAWA, Rick only needed water.  We arrived in Spring Lake around 7:30AM and found a parking spot a good distance from the start.  It is crazy how many people this race attracts (over 9,000 registered runners) and how the town just gets swamped on this one day.  After taking care of normal pre-race "business" we made our way to the start and hung out, waiting for the gun to go off.

8:30AM - The National Anthem was sung and then BANG! off we went.  I didn't even have a chance wish Rick good luck, I just started running, weaving in and out of slower runners.  I felt pretty good, but I couldn't really settle on a solid pace.  The first mile came quickly (6:56) and I made the turn west away from the ocean.  Mile 2 was similar to the first, although I finally found a rhythm and someone to follow/chase (6:57). 

Mile 3 was a different story, there is just a slight incline (barely negligible, but there) and it really had an affect on my as my time slipped a bit (7:05).  I was pissed when I looked at my watch and saw this, so of course I picked up the pace. 

Weather Note:  Thankfully to this point the rain had held off and the temperatures were still in the low 70Fs, perfect weather for running. 

Mile 4 runs along the lake, Spring Lake, and the crowds were a bit more prominent, which definitely helped a lot.  I tried to find runners to pass and consequently tried not get passed by too many.  I was frustrated when my mile split popped up on my Garmin - 6:59 (I thought I was much faster than that).  I mentally prepared for the last mile.

Mile 5 and it was time to push it to the finish.  I knew that once I made the turn on to Ocean Ave that it was just about a half mile to go and that is where I would have to really pick up the pace.  I made the turn and I slowly increased my speed.  The weather began to change and a mist descended from the sky, just a bit of a drizzle.  I saw a guy drink the last gulps of water from a plastic water bottle and he threw it to the ground, that pissed me off.  Why couldn't he just hold onto it 'til the end?  I then decided that I had to pass him and everyone else possible before the finish line.  I dug down and brought it home strong.  Last mile 6:33.

My final time was 34:28 (6:54/mile):

• Overall - 254th out of 7,583
• Men - 227th out of 4,074
• Age Group - 43rd out of 465

This was by far my best showing at the Spring Lake 5 ever and I was really happy with my race.  Of course I would have liked to have gone a bit faster, specifically on mile three, but that would be nit-picking.  I ran a very solid race and it gives me a lot of confidence as I start my triathlon season.  On a side note, my brother-in-law Rick ran it in 36:56, a tremendous job, this was his first race in a few years and he had just gotten back into running only a few months ago.  Bring on LavaMan!!!  Adios!