Race: APGO 5K Suds Run & Walk
Date: January 11, 2015
Location: Palm Springs, CA
Official Time: 20:37
Official Lap: 7:38
Place: 5 / 68
Race Stats
Speed: ★ ★ ★ ★ .5 (fast, fast, fast)
Hills: .5 (not a one)
Crowd: ★ ★ (good showing for APGO, but not crowded)
Party: ★ ★ ★ ★ .5 (love the beer garden at the finish)
T-Shirt: ★ ★ ★ .5 (classic!)
This year's AGPO 5K Suds Run & Walk lived up to all of the hype (well, my own hype for myself). Check out the page dedicated to the race for some great photos. I love this run, and we had a great showing of 68 registered runners and walkers this year. This is a record, and I think most of those registered ran, so that was probably a record itself.
This race is great for two reasons. One, it's the first race of the new year for me. I usually fall off the wagon some time in November / December - after all of my fall races have finished up, and the tendonitis has settled in. This race is a little boost to get back on track, and a good litmus test for how the Spring races are going to start off. This year is looking pretty good!
Second, this race really lets everyone attending the conference see you get all sweaty and breathless. Even the most important folks in the organization, and the most prestigious speakers end up like the rest of us at the finish line - a little redder in the face, out of breath and sweaty. It's a little easier to make introductions, and this lasts through the whole conference. I've made some good connections around this little race.
Starting last year, APGO really turned it up a notch, and we have a wonderful beer garden at the end of the race. It's a perfect end to a great run, and gives you the opportunity to make some new friends - which I was able to do this year!
The race course this year was nicely staffed and marked. The run was a simple out-and-back on flat roads making for a quick run. I spent some time going out chatting a little bit with some of the runners, and then made a break for it. My overall run was great, and my time was the best ever - that's when I realized that we ended up running a shorter course. Of course, everyone (including me!) was pretty excited to see that the final distance was more like 2.7 miles, rather than 3.1. This probably won't count towards any official race times for the year, but it was a lot of fun.
Like always, I'll be looking forward to this run next year - Florida here we come. And from the looks of things, I think that this race season is going to start off pretty strong. Thanks APGO, and see you soon!