Login
Reston Area Triathletes RATS.net Logo

Race Result

Racer: Matt Taylor
Race: Race for the Cure 5K
Date: Saturday, October 23, 2004
Location: Charelston, SC
Race Type: Run - 5 km
Age Group: Male 25 - 29
Time: 0:20:21
Overall Place: 39 / 730
Age Group Place: 13 / 154
Comment: Not 1/2 GFT...but a successful race nonetheless



Race Report:



For those of you who don't know, back in July, Wendy and I made a life decision and decided to move our family to Charleston, SC. Fast forward 10 weeks later and we have moved. In the process of all of this I have begun travelling for work, moving the family, and dealing with other life stresses. As I got closer to race day for GFT, I realized that my work/life schedule was not jiving with my race schedule, and something had to give. Unfortunately it was the race I was training for all summer. After a succesful race at Reston, I was willing to accept that life happens, and that there would be more races. Was I disappointed..extremely...but I need to keep moving forward. Well, what can I do instead of a 1/2 IM, how about a local 5K supoprting breast cancer in my new community, and so I signed up for the Charleston Race for the cure.

This is great race and over 4000 people came out to support it this year, a total of 730 racing, and thousands more walking, running for fun, and cheering. This was my first official 5K road race and I was excited. I did not know what a straight full out 5K would feel like, without a swim,bike on the front. What could I do? Could I come in under 20 minutes?

I decided I would approach the start of the run like the start of a swim. I would take the first 400 meters and get off the front of the crowd and then settle into my race pace. This worked extremely well and within the first few minutes I was in the front pack of about 20 other runners, with the few speed demons pulling away. I settled into my race pace. The one problem I had on this course was I did not get a good preview, and they did not have the mileage marked. My intention was to take the last mile at full tilt. I mean geez, I was suppose to be doing ~60 miles in a 1/2 IM, I can make this 5K hurt and survive it. Heading into what I knew was the last main stretch before the turn towards the finish I kicked into, what was for me, overdrive. The straight away was not as long as I had thought, and although I successfully dropped a few runners I had been trading spots with, and passed a few others, I did not have as much ground to cover as I had planned. I crossed the line in 20:21, the 39th runner of the day, and 13th out of 154 in my age group. Turned out there were more young punks in the pack then I thought. If I had known the course I should have shifted gears about two turns earlier, and I know I would have achieved under 20 minutes. The good thing is now I'm ready for next year.