"Strides for HOPE" 5K

After six weeks of changing up my training mode from marathon to 5K, I ran the Strides for HOPE (Help Overcome Pediatric Epilepsy) 5K in Livingston.

To be honest, I really did not know what to expect. I am not that familiar with terrain of Livingston, so I did not know if it would be hilly.  The weather would start out cold but warm up quickly, so it was tough to gauge what to wear.  And with my recent Achilles tendon injury, I wondered if I would hold up. 

So I went into it with the thought that I would strive for a PR, but I figured it was not going to realistically happen.  I have all of April to keep shooting for it anyway.

The race was well organized - and this was an inaugural event.  Kudos to the organizers, volunteers and supporters.  Parking was easy, check-in was a breeze and the vibe was excellent.  The cotton T-shirt was nicely designed, too.

OK, so there was a bit of a late start because they had some trouble getting the walkers out of the way of the course of where the runners would be, but it was fine.  The morning was chilly, but the 10 a.m. sun was warming everyone up.  Standing at the starting line for some extra time gave me a chance to size up the competition, too.  I stood behind a kid that was clearly going to win the thing - thin, lithe, bursting with energy, I figured this kid had a 17-minute race in him.  My goal, then, was to keep him in sight.  That would surely net me a good race.

There were also some small children at the front of the lineup and though I do not think they belong there, they were excited and seemed to really want to get a fast start.  I had no worries about trampling them because I started tailing the winner-to-be at the sound of the horn.

We started with a lap around the half-mile "oval" - a circular roadway with a grassy interior behind Livingston High School - and then it was onto the local roads. Sure enough, Speedy Kid was out in front.  I passed the little girls and a few guys that seemed to be younger than my age group, settling into a fourth place spot by the time we got out of the oval.  Once on the local streets, I passed a guy that seemed about my age.  The age-group awards are always in mind when I run these races!

I can not praise the volunteer staff of this race enough. There were a lot of turns on short blocks for this race, with a portion that went off the road and around what I assume was the front and side of the high school.  I paid little attention to my surroundings except to look at the volunteers pointing the way, which they did beautifully.  By that time, I was in a distant second place with Speedy long out of sight, having made my move on a younger guy that was petering out on the uphills in the second mile.  Hills are always where I make my move.

There were also volunteers calling out times at the mile markers - I nailed a 5:48 for my first mile (yes!), but I could not quite hear my second-mile time. The girl calling it out had a softer voice that did not penetrate through my intense concentration and the sound of my breathing reverberating in my head.  I thought I heard "12:38", but I know that is not right.  For a few seconds, I tried to do the math, but I could focus on nothing but pushing, pushing, pushing to keep my stride, imagining myself on the track, doing my 1:28 400-meter intervals.  All I needed to know was that I had an eight second cushion from the first mile that could still get me a PR.

Back on the road, I could see Speedy way up in the distance, and as we turned back into the "oval", I slammed it into high gear - the kind of high gear that would surely end in hurting, but worth it for a final 800-meter sprint. 

Speedy was finished and I kept my eyes on the balloons at the finish line.  The spectators were cheering loudly for me and that kept me motivated.  As I rounded the corner to the entrance road where the finish line was, I saw the clock hit 18:20.  I was actually surprised!  I had been pushing with all my might, lengthening my stride to the max, and those last few yards were going to make the difference between breaking my 18:30 PR or just missing it.

The clock ticked through the 18:20s for the longest, hardest eight seconds of my running life, but when I hit that line at 18:28, it blew my mind.  A PR at my first 5K in 10 months.  Wow.

I received a nifty plaque for coming in second place and spent some time talking with Speedy and his coach.  That 15-year-old kid has some serious potential.  I am going to look up his name and check up on him from time to time.

For the rest of the event, the organizers kept everyone entertained with a kids' fun run, costumed "Star Wars" characters (a Storm Trooper, an Imperial Guard and a Clone Trooper), and a ton of raffles for great prizes like an Ipad, a TV, and more. 

This race has the potential to grow in future years.  As an early April race for a great cause in a pleasant town in northern Essex County, it can become many northern New Jerseyans' gateway to the spring racing season.