Chin-up Progression Episode 3

 

YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hs_amtdybXc

Things are going well! 

Race Recap: Fools 5K

 Fools 5K, 4/2/22, Cedar Falls, IA

Weather: 35 degrees, snowing

Terrain: Slush-covered road

Distance: 5K

Elevation Gain: approx. 10 feet

Nothing like a 5K to bring my immediate family together! At my son's request, we decided to run this local race as a family, although I was planning to run ahead and try to get a new personal best. On Friday afternoon I went to the extremely easy packet pickup and got our shirts and bibs in a personal best "under one minute," which bode well. But that night I got a stuffy nose. And a bad headache. And I woke up for good at 1:45 AM feeling absolutely terrible. Shortly thereafter, the weather turned just as terrible, with big fat snow covering everything in a slightly slippery slush. A cup of coffee, a negative COVID test, and a shot of Pepto Bismol later, I figured "eff it, I'm just going to try my best." I knew a PR wasn't happening, but maybe I could get a good workout, at least.

We took off for George Wyth Park (my usual hiking stomping grounds) and arrived 15 minutes before race start to find plenty of parking right by the start line. Stayed in the warm, dry car until 7:55, then got out and into the corral just in time for the 8 AM start. It was rather congested for the first half mile but it eventually cleared out. I was taking 45-second walk breaks and keeping track of how many I needed total during the race (spoiler alert: 8). 

The course was a simple one, going out and back down the park road with an extra "finger" out to the Alice Wyth boat docks and back. This allowed me to high-five Son a couple times, who was indeed going a bit slower with Husband. Despite feeling sick as hell, I was able to keep up a decent pace, even though I knew I would certainly be over 30 minutes. The slush on the road didn't affect my run pace, but whenever I stopped to walk it felt a bit slicker because of the longer stride. This definitely incentivized jogging as much as I could.

In the lane, slow is glist'nin'

The course is incredibly flat, which was great. It was quite an easy little jaunt. I enjoyed how it was split up into easy segments that made the question "how much farther" totally irrelevant. I wish I'd felt great and had no slush so I could have really turned on the jets, but as it was I finished in about 31 1/2 minutes. Son and Husband came around 11 minutes later, and we enjoyed the finishing spread of chocolate milk and donut holes (there were also water, bananas, and coffee) before driving home, soaked to the bone from the big fat snowflakes.

YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upxk1Ai3XlQ

Pros:

-Course. Simple and flat. There was also a 10K running concurrently that just went farther out before turning around.

-Finisher feast. DONUT HOLES? Yes ma'am.

-Compact and easy layout. Super easy to park, start and finish close to the parking, just flawless (especially in bad weather).

Cons:

-Shirt isn't great. But I'm really picky.

-I wish they'd gotten more photos. Husband and Son got none.

Race Grade:  A-. Well-organized way to start the race season!