My Dads First 5k!

So last weekend for Father's Day my dad decided he wanted to run his first 5k. He also decided he wanted me to pace him and that I am "too fast" so he signed me up to race the 10k race before so I would be "tired" enough to run with him. Nice. Well coach was not on board with another race effort from me so plan was to run the 10k in time to finish and start with my dad 45 minutes later.

The whole family made the trek out. Dad to run the 5k, my sister to run the 10k, and my husband even decided he would do the 5k. Mom got the important task of cheering and photographing all of the family crazies about to race on a very hot morning.





This race was a charity run for Crop Walk. Most of their events are walks and this one apparently was not usually run in June. The turn out was very low, definitely the smallest race I have ever participated in. The 10k got off about 5 minutes late and so now I knew I needed to run a little faster to get done in time to start with my dad. I really didn't feel like running under 6:40 pace and the heat and rollers were making it so without a race effort I wasn't going to do that anyways. One guy shot off ahead at the start and the rest of the way I just tried to put in a good marathon paced effort knowing I would likely have to race the first part of the 5k to catch up to my dad. The course was dirt roads and no big hills but no flat so between that and the heat it was a tough little course (as advertised). I made sure to thank the volunteers for water and stopped and doused my head at the 1 and 4 mile marker.




Finished in about 41:18 which ironically up until last year would have been close to a PR. Grabbed a cup of water and thankfully they were running a few minutes behind on the 5k so I had a second to catch my breath before pacing my dad.

He wanted to run 10-12 minute pace. He has only run one race which was the Detroit Turkey Trot 10k last year and he hasn't been training very rigidly to say the least. But he is motivated and this would be a good indicator of his fitness so he can dial in his training better for the Turkey Trot this year. We got him the Garmin 205 for Fathers Day so he would know his pace for the race, but since I was with him I told him not to worry about it.




Started him off a little fast around 9:30 pace but I told him we could walk the water stop. He gave me a bit of back talk, something about trying to kill him, but he seemed fine, and it is a race after all, time to push those boundaries! I was determined to get him in on sub 10 minute pace if we could. After the water stop we got back in a sub 10 groove, until he put his foot down and took a few walk breaks on some of the hills. That was fine, his breathing was a bit ragged so we would slow to catch his breath then pick a point to start running again.

We were slowly reeling in one young kid and I told my dad we had to finish ahead of him. My dad tried being chivalrous and said it isn't nice to pass old men and kids at the end, so I told him we needed to get moving and pass him before the end. :) We told him good job as we made our way by and tried to get him to come with us, but now we were closing on the finish and I was trying to get my dad to push.

Rounded the final corner and my dad managed to come in at 31:12, about 5 minutes faster than he had intended and just over 10 minute pace.


I was joined by my sister as we headed back out to run my husband in. She unfortunately had to take her first DNF of her running career. She was diagnosed with Crohns just a few years ago and unfortunately her body decided 30 minutes before the race to have a melt down. But I am proud of her for trying anyways and knowing when enough is enough and to save it for another day.

My husband has just started jogging two nights a week from 800 meters to a mile at a time so I was very proud of him for coming out and finishing the 5k on a hot and difficult course!

We followed the race up with a great day at my grandparents, it was a nice weekend with the family!