2024 Outrun Hunger 5k

“Running isn’t about being the best; it’s about pursuing your personal best”.

(Runkeeper)

My Walk into the Future allows me to pursue adventures in multiple ways.

Running is one of the ways I found 12 years ago, and I have not looked back. 

I started running Orlando Track Shack and Front Running Sports races when I moved to Oviedo, Florida from Warner Robins, Georgia back in October 2010.  I never thought the local 5ks in Orlando would lead me to become a running tourist and multi-time marathoner.  Big things start with small steps.

I have focused on the half marathon as my preferred distance over the past 4 years but still lace up my running shoes for 5ks.  The Treasure Coast running community is not as large and visible as the Orlando running community.  We have races but they are not as large as the Track Shack productions and most don’t have beer at the finish line.  It seems like a small thing, but true runners are looking for beer and donuts once we cross the finish line.  I still run a few local races but find ways to travel to the Orlando area for Track Shack events.

The Treasure Coast Food Bank hosts a September 5k and I have run this one for the past three years.  It’s a small race but it is a great way to help stock the local food bank to help our residents with food insecurity needs.  I also leverage this 5k as a speed session to help me prepare for longer races.  This year the 5k fit nicely into the Chicago Marathon training program and allowed me to test my fitness and work to get faster leg turnover. 

The race starts and ends at Causeway Cove on Hutchingson Island in Fort Pierce.  This location makes it easy to get in and out without a ton of traffic or waiting around when the race is over.  I also park on the mainland side of the Seaway Drive bridge and use the bridge as a warmup before the race.  I get a slow jog in crossing the bridge and then stretch once I make it to Causeway Cove.

Again, it’s a small race crowd so I normally post up in the middle of the starting pack to avoid undue stress moving through runners.  I didn’t enter with a specific finish time in mind but wanted to go faster than my last 5k back in August (Celebration of Running 5k).  Always surprised I don’t know many people in these races even though I live in Fort Pierce—this is not a tight running community.

My goal was to run a controlled race without much deviation between each mile split.  I’m happy with my finish time of 28:29 which equals 9:10 per mile.  This was a faster time and splits than my Celebration of Running 5k outing.  I ran the entire 5k with a smile on my face because the pace felt good, and I knew I could maintain this for additional miles.  I didn’t feel the need to push much faster considering this was a 12-mile training day as part of my Chicago Marathon training program.  I was surprised to see that I won my age group for this race.  I have placed in the Top 3 of this race in the past but this was the first time I was the ‘Top Old Dude’. 😊  I decided to stick around the race village to collect my additional award and get some extra pictures taken on the top step of the podium.

I took my prizes and headed back over the bridge.  I still needed to get in an additional 9 miles to complete my long run training for the day.

Feeling good about my mental and physical fitness as the 2024 Chicago Marathon draws closer.

Irie!