TAPS 5K

Yesterday the Running Duricks got out for the second 5K of the season.  We ran the TAPS 5K hosted by Bristow Tri and Swim.  The race was to benefit the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors.  "TAPS is the 24/7 tragedy assistance resource for ANYONE who has suffered the loss of a military loved one, regardless of the relationship to the deceased or the circumstance of the death." so we were happy to support this cause.  The course was a new one to us out in the Vint Hill Farm region.  I had done a lot of training runs out there last fall so I knew the area but not the exact course.  It's always nice to run a new course.  The really nice thing about the BRATS races is that they have smaller age divisions for the kids so that the younger kids aren't competing against teenagers.  We thought that Zach and maybe Nic would have a chance at an age group award depending on how they ran. 

Pre-race car selfie while we stay warm

The packet pick up, parking, and porta potty situations were all easy on race morning.  It was a bit cold in the morning, but there wasn't much wind and the sun was starting to warm things up.  The race was to start at 8:30 so we got out of the car around 8 am to start warming up and getting ready.  They had a nice ceremony at the beginning to explain the TAPS program and introduce a few of the families who would be running in support of their lost loved ones.  Some Scouts were there and performed a nice flag ceremony and the priest (who is also a runner) from Holy Trinity Church led the Lord's Prayer.  Then the 10K runners were off.  The 10K runners were going to do two loops of the course while the 5K runners only did one loop.

Post race with Mom

About 5 minutes later, the 5K went off.  Zach and Nicolas both had a PR goal in mind so for Nicolas I knew that I had to keep right around a 9 minute pace.  Zach needed around an 8:15 pace so he went off with JD.  Zach ran his first mile pretty hard around an 8:09.  Nic and I finished the first mile at 8:42.  Nic was doing really well and running with not many problems.  The second mile was a bit hillier as we got onto the bike path and there was a longer incline and a bit of elevation gain that made them have to work a bit.  Nic and I could see Zach up ahead so we just worked on keeping him in our line of vision and then not losing any distance.  Nic ran the second mile in 8:52.  The faster first mile had taken a bit of a toll on Zach so I think his second mile was around the same split.  JD started trying to push him a little harder in the last mile particularly because a boy passed him at some point, and we weren't sure what age group the boy was in.  Zach gave an all out hard effort on the last mile, but he wasn't able to pull out a PR.  He fell just short and finished with a 26:40 for a pace of 8:36.  Nicolas pushed really hard in the last mile and finished with almost a minute PR at 27:15 which turned out to be an 8:47 pace and a great race with nice even splits.  As Nic and I were coming in for the last mile, I noticed two women who looked to be about my age so I made it a point to pass them "just in case".  I really didn't think my time would be good for anything, but you never know what the 40-44 female age group is going to look like.  Sometimes you need a 20 minute 5K to even get close to top 5, and other times a sub-27 can get you in the top 3.  I hadn't noticed many women my age in front of us so I thought maybe I might be good for 3rd.

Post-race with Dad

We weren't sure where other kids had finished so we had to wait around for the results to print out.  It took a while for the awards to get sorted out so we were all pretty cold by award time.  JD went over to check the sheet, and we found out that Zach had placed 3rd in the 10 and under age group. Poor Nic had just missed a place and was in 4th, but he had a great PR.  We also realized that I had won my age group which I was really surprised about.  This was all thanks to Nic for running a great 5K and staying with the pace the whole race.

10 and under age group winners

Overall this was a nice small race for a good cause.  They had decent post race food, cute small medals for the age group placement, nice tech tee shirt, reliable timing, great course marking, and good organization.  I would definitely recommend this race and will put it on our list for next year.