Daily's Ortega River Run 5 Miler

Saturday was the morning of one of Jacksonville's largest running events -- the Daily's Ortega River Run 5 Miler. The race boasts a field of over 1500 runners and one of the toughest age group fields to boot This year I journeyed to the race so I could redeem myself from my heartbreaking 5th place finish last year. To give you a little background information, last year I shuffled home in 38:46, getting outkicked by one second for 3rd place (and then I got bumped down another spot because another runner in my age group had a faster chip time than me). So my motto for the day was: "Give me plaque or give me death!" I enjoyed an extra 30 minutes of shut eye since the race was scheduled to start at 8:30 AM. Dad and I headed out the door at 7:00 AM, begining our 45 minute drive to the secluded and picturesque Ortega Village. My aunt, grandma, and younger cousin are in town for the next few months so they joined my mom and sister, driving to the race 30 minutes later than we did. Upon arriving at the crowded side streets of Ortega Village, Dad and I headed to the day school to pick up our packets, then headed back to the car. I warmed up for 10 minutes on the nearby hills, also observing that the conditions this year were quite similiar to last year -- high 60s and humid. After returning to the car from my brief warm up, I stripped off the outer layers and put on my flats. I wore my green singlet with matching green-striped shorts and sported the shades I recently bought at 1st Place Sports. Dad and I headed to the start line and I met up with my teammate, Steven, while Dad lined up about 10 yards behind us. The elites quickly filed in and the race was soon under way. At the fire of the gun shot I took off in a quick start, not far behind the elites. About a tenth into the race was the first turn, which then took us over the metal-grated draw bridge. The incline was little to none, and I held the same clip for the 1st mile, passing the one mile marker in 6:30. After seeing my time, I quickly adjusted my pace to 7:00 minutes per mile. The course took us onto a main road were I passed two miles in 13:30. We winded through a few neighborhoods and with my trusty Garmin in hand I looked to see that I had passed halfway in 16:50, a little too fast but a good split nonetheless. My optimistic mood soured once I was faced with bridge number two, a much steeper and longer incline. I shuffled up the bridge, trying to catch up to people who were walking. At the crest of the bridge, I passed the 3 mile mark in 20:49, an indicator that my pace had suffered once I encountered the bridge. But using the bridge to my advantage, I picked up my legs and powered down the hill. Once off the bridge, the course ventured onto the rolling hills of McGirts Road. There was an ebb and flow of runners going up and down the hills, some racers passing me on the uphills but slowing down on the downhills. We received some support from local families but it wasn't enough to take my mind off the pain. I passed mile 4 in 27:58, my sub-35:00 goal quickly escaping my grasp. The hills sucked all the life and energy out of me in the last mile (but these hills "pale in comparison" to the hills in Connecticut, Dad declared proudly as he fondly recalled his glory days in high school cross country). I used my last ounce of energy and rounded the last turn of the race, with a quarter mile straight-away ahead of me. The seconds kept ticking off and I raced towards the finish, crossing the line in 34:57, a time slower that what I had hoped for, but a new PR and almost four minutes faster than last year's time on this course. After exiting the finish chute, I saw at least five kids in my age group roll in after me, no less than a minute behind me. Dad wasn't far behind, either, crossing the finish line in a PR of 36:41, 30 seconds faster than his time on this course last year. Once Dad found me, we regrouped with our designated "cheering section," where I received the same criticism that I receive from my supportive sister, Tania, after every race: "You looked like you're going on a Sunday morning stroll." (translation: "You're not working hard enough -- you should be doubled over, cursing, and foaming at the mouth at the finish line like Dad.") But I let my award do the talking, coming in 2nd place in the most competitive age group field this event has seen in years. Dad didn't even break the top 10 in the highly competitive 45-49 age group, even with his spiffy new PR. We all splurged on the free chips and ice cream that they were giving out at the festival, washed down with my quota of chocolate milks for the morning (3) and Powerade. Got Tums? All in all, it was a respectable outing, but there is nothing wrong with having room for improvement. I'm off for this weekend, having a time trial in Orange Park, while Dad will be chasing yet another PR and possible hardware at the Nocatee 5K right in our backyard in Ponte Vedra. The week after that is the USA 15K Championships: The Gate River Run. I hope to score a top 3 award in my suprisingly competitive age group, while maybe teaching Dad a lesson or two in pacing and tackling the Green Monster (the dreaded Hart Bridge at mile 8). It's shaping up to be a good few weeks of training ahead of me while I gear up for track season! So long and keep racing well!