Race Report- Medved 5k to Cure ALS

For the fourth year in a row Dad and I spent the morning of Father's Day running in the Medved 5k to Cure ALS. Check out the report from last year! Here are some photos from each year, please ignore the change in waistband size, ha.

2011

2012

2013

2014

This is the first 4-peat race we will do this year and while we were running, we tried to figure out which other races will be potential 4-peats too. The next one is on July 4th so stay tuned for that race recap in a couple weeks. Since we waited until the last minute to do packet pick-up with our last race, and had some t-shirt issues because of it, I decided I would get there bright and early Saturday morning. For the second year they offered a tech shirt option which is a great option, but makes it really hard to choose the right size, especially when the tech shirts are gender specific. Apparently most running woman aren't well endowed in the chest region!! The people at packet pick-up were super friendly and they did have the correct size shirts for us this time around. Unfortunately the tech shirts are white and mine doesn't fit. I know you've heard me gripe about white race shirts in the past, why doesn't anyone listen to me!!! ;)

The race started at 8:30 so Dad & Mom picked up Rob and me and we were on our way to Frontier Field around 7:30. It was cool and cloudy and so I opted for long sleeves and capris. When I saw everyone in shorts, short-sleeved shirts or going shirtless I got nervous that I overdressed. We did our usual pre-race ritual and saw some familiar faces and before we knew it we were kissing Mom and Rob goodbye and lining up at the start. We noticed from the beginning that the field felt smaller than usual and sure enough there were about one hundred less participants than last year according to the timing results. As soon as the horn blew and we started moving, my legs felt heavy like they were working really hard. We kept moving along chatting, dodging pot holes and manhole covers and before we knew it we were at the one mile mark, way quicker than my usual speed lately. Holy cow, no wonder my legs were fighting me!! I don't think I looked at my Garmin that entire first mile. One disappointing factor about this race is that they usually run out of water at the first water stop by the time I get there. I'm not sure if they were more prepared, or if it was the cooler temps or less people, but they had plenty of water and I was really grateful as the sun was starting to come out at this point. 

This course is great because it is flat and there are lots of twists and turns and if you are facing the sun and heating up, there probably will be a turn as soon as you start to get uncomfortable. A stretch in the middle is nicely shaded by the city buildings and usually there is a bit of a breeze. We thanked the police and volunteers and wished Happy Father's Day to everyone. There are not a lot of spectators on the course, they are typically concentrated to the area around the baseball stadium but with Dad and I simultaneously talking and gasping for air, the time passes quickly. At one point we were even distracted by a nice train hauling lots of sugar tanks! I told Dad I was going to take a walk break at the train bridge and he quickly responded that the 2 mile sign was just a bit after the bridge, so I sucked it up and we walked from the sign to the next water stop. Once again there was a table full of water and encouraging volunteers.

The best part about this race is the finish, as it takes you into the outfield of Frontier Field and you finish on home plate. This year they were broadcasting the finish on the jumbo screen in the stadium, that was a fun addition I don't remember from the past races! As we approached the outfield we noticed an older gentleman who was commenting on the baseball signage along the way, he started talking to my Dad about baseball players and they slowed their pace a bit. I continued and as we rounded the end of the stands I kept moving and kept my eye on the finish line. I heard my Dad say behind me "ok, I can't let my daughter beat me, bye" or something along those lines! I saw him appear out of the corner of my eye and brush past me right before the finish. I do think we finished at the same time, but for this race they listed him ahead of me in the official results. I'll get him next next!