Race Report: Miles for Moffitt 5K
This was my first race, and I picked it because Dad, a lifelong runner, had this weekend free to run it with me. Miles for Moffitt is in its third annual running at the University of South Florida, and benefits the Moffitt Cancer Center which is affiliated with the university.
To get to the race in time to check in, we had to get up at six, roust the kids, pack the car, and go. Even though Dineen had set out everything the night before (including t-shirts for the kids she made saying “Run Daddy Run” and “Run Grandpa Run”) we got out the door a few minutes later than planned.
When we got to campus, we were amazed at the turnout. Just a few minutes before the close of registration, and there were still hundreds of runners in line to check in. Fortunately, Dad had gotten there early to pick up both our packs and he found me just as I got in line. Even so, they had to push back the start time 20 minutes because they had double the expected registration, mostly at the last minute.
Besides the 5K run, there was also a 1 mile walk/run. As we got our chips and went looking for an alternative to the long porta-potty lines, Dad and I saw a large number of runners or walkers who were there to honor a particular cancer victim or survivor.
We finally made our way to the starting area, and after what seemed like an endless wait, the horn blew and we were off. I knew that there would be a temptation to start faster than normal because of race conditions, and even though we tried to start our at a moderate pace, we did the first kilometer a bit faster than planned. It’s hard to have runners whizzing by on both sides and not try to keep up.
The first mile went pretty smoothly, flat and straight. Dad, who typically runs indoors on the treadmill, had been worried that the late start would make heat a factor, but we were both still doing fine. Our time for the first mile was 9:57.
The second mile, we started to see the hills we had been warned about. That part of the course runs up some long, gentle inclines, ones you wouldn’t even notice if you weren’t running on them. In the second mile and especially in the third, the incline became a factor. At the second mile mark, we had slowed to 10:22.
The last mile was one long hill, a short downhill, and then an uphill climb to the finish. The sun had come up over the trees and that started to bother Dad, while I was struggling with the incline. At two separate points we had to stop and walk for a minute, but we made the last turn major turn and then suddenly, saw what looked like the finish. Runners around us started their kick, and we did too.
At that point, I thought, “Wait, isn’t that the same place we started? I thought the finish was over by the parking lot?” But as the runners spread out and sped up around us, we kept kicking. Under the balloon arch, across the mat, and we slowed to a walk, along with several other runners.
“Keep going!” The volunteers pointed to the *other* balloon arch, about a tenth of a mile away. Wait, they sent us back through the Start, which looked just like the Finish, and didn’t warn us? We swore, and picked it back up to a trot towards the finish. I kept my eyes open for Dineen and the boys.
Across the mat, under the arch, for the genuine finish, and Dineen was on the side with her camera. The boys were excited to see us and we were happy we had made it. Final time, according to my Nike+, was 32:04, with a third mile split of 11:10.
Since this was my first race, my main goal was to finish, have fun, and spend time with family. I also now have a little bit better understanding of how these events work so that my next race (next week) I’ll be a little bit better prepared mentally. This race, then, was a huge success.
UPDATE: Official times posted. Looks like our actual run time was 31:59 for Dad and 32:00 for me. Not too bad, for a first race.