As many experienced runners know, sometimes you pick a race for no particular reason. This was the case with the Fred Howard Park 5k race I did on Saturday, May 21,2022. This came about because I was looking for a “tune up” 5k race for my wife who will be doing her first (I guess now it is the 2nd) organized race in two years. What makes this selection unique is that this was the last race Mitch Veix and I did together before the pandemic. I figured it would be cool to ask if he would like to give it another shot for old times’ sake. He cheerfully agreed so it was on!
During the week we had been peppered with reports of rain chances for Friday and Saturday with some predictions calling for as much as 65 – 70%. This would have made for a damp and soggy run which I was really hoping to avoid. Fortunately, the weather gods were nice and not only ended all rains before the 8 am start but also left us with dry trails to run and cooler temperatures due to the clouds. Arriving at Ft Howard Park, I was able to locate the package pickup and start of the race. Coincidentally, Mitch was pulling in at the same time. This was a no-frills race so there was no goodie bag, t-shirt or chip for the bib. Your time was based on when you crossed the finish line and the time the race director writes down that you came in. Now before anyone starts to say that this is an overwhelming thing to do, realize that another part of this race being no frills is that they keep the registrations down to 50 or below for the 5k and 10k combined. Makes it much easier to keep track of things. Also made for a quick check in (Although I have to say they had the BIGGEST safety pins I have ever seen at a race! These were the sizes that people used to use for baby diapers!)
At the race start Mitch, my wife and I gathered near the front to get going. After quick instructions by the race director, we were off. The 5k and the 10k races consisted of consecutive loops through the park. The 5k race required you to do 3 loops through the park. Each loop was an out and back with a turnaround at the halfway point. The initial portion of the race was on the paved sidewalk that inclined a little but that quickly changed as you turned onto the parking lot for 50 feet and then turned onto the trail. We had to run the trail for another 50 feet before coming upon another paved trail which led over a little bridge which then took us to the half mile turnabout. At that point we headed back to the start where we again turned around and started the 2nd mile. I feel that I started out a little too fast during the first portion of the mile as I was a bit winded right before the turnaround. Running on the trail (with some rocks) takes a bit more energy than running on flat pavement. During my first mile I ran slightly behind a guy I figured was in my age group. That helped me to settle down my pace a little and get my breathing in order. By mile 2 he started to fade so I quickly sped past him to maintain my goal pace. The nice part about the out and back is that you get to see your fellow runners on several occasions, so I got a chance to see both Mitch and my wife burning rubber out there. By the beginning of the 3rd mile my lungs were screaming and all I could think about was completing this race. I managed to hold my pace and get to the finish line in just under 26 minutes. Not my best 5k time but respectable considering this was a partial trial run. After my finish, I quickly ran to my car to grab my phone so that I could take pictures of Mitch and my wife crossing the finish line. Both finished with great time, and we all took pictures. We were able to grab our medals (which were some of the nicest I have ever seen!). There was also bottled water and granola bars available. Overall, we all really liked the low key, laid-back approach of this race and I would recommend it to anyone who loves a race for the run and is ok with no-frills.