Sailfest 5K

Sailfest 5K.  Sunday, July 8, 2012.

Results here.  13th overall of 454.  2nd in age group.  18:19, 5:55 pace.

Made a "game day decision" to run this one.  I much prefer to sign up in advance and have it planned and on the calendar, but this time it was scrambling, filling out forms, finding the cash, etc.

5K start

 Lined up with fellow WTAC'er Jeff V at the start in the little shade I would see during the course.  Despite the shade, I was already sweating pretty good just waiting for the gun to go off.  A quarter mile in a guy bumped into me pretty good because he was too busy fidgeting with his iPod.  Do you need that on a 5K, really?!



About a mile in (first split 5:50), there was a welcoming hose on the course, followed by a slight uphill but enough to separate out a number of runners.  I then kept thinking I was hearing a sick dog with breathing problems until I came upon the culprit:  Darth Vader running with a deep gutteral breathing interrupted only by a cough.  Put him behind me on the hill, but then on the straights, he caught up and ran next to me.  Ugh!  At mile 2 (split 5:58), there was a merciful downhill.  Later, Vader, the gazelle will take it from here.  Never saw the dude again.



Just as in the Firecracker 4-miler, the third mile (6:05) was disappointingly my slowest split as I'm guessing due to the weather.  Neat finish downtown through vendor stalls and barricades set up for SailFest.  It was a party atmosphere; walked the docks with the family afterwards and got fish tacos and clamcakes.



Overtaking a final runner before last turn on course

  


Water fountain provides relief
from the heat at finish line

 




Awards ceremony - 2nd in age group

 

Proud father and his son both got 2nd in respective
age groups - very cool!

US Coast Guard "Eagle":
one of the ships in SailFest visible from finish