Sac Beer Week 5K

Leading up to the day of the race, I realized that I had overlooked the fact that the Sac Beer Week 5K was a small race, and as such, it would be taking place on the sidewalks and we would have to follow traffic laws (meaning we could have to stop at traffic lights). Not a huge deal, but definitely a potential blocker to being able to set a PR.

One of the nice features of the race that initially attracted me to the run was that it started at noon (versus the usual 8/9 AM start time). Today was the warmest day so far this year with a high around 75°, and as such, at race time it was nearly 70° which was far warmer than any of the runs I've taken so far this year. While by no means hot, I hoped the temperature wouldn't affect my performance.

The race started on time, and we took off from the brewery (New Helvetia Brewing Company. I got off to a quick start and slowly throttled back to about a 7:45 per mile pace. Midway into the first mile, we hadn't hit any traffic lights, and I began to think my fears about having to stop were unfounded. However shortly thereafter, I can upon the first light, and my direction turned to red before I reached the intersection. As I started to "put on the brakes", I noticed that the car with the right-of-way hadn't started to move, so I decided to quickly cut across the street in front of it (giving the driver a quick "thank you" wave as I crossed by). Two more runners came along with me. I didn't hit any more red lights on the rest of the run, and I think there were only three more intersections where that was a possibility.

I finished the first mile in 7:51 well ahead of the 8:15 pace needed for a PR. I had some concerns after the first mile about my ability to keep up such a quick pace, but at 26 seconds ahead, I'd only need to average 8:28 for the final two miles to set a PR.

My second mile was a drop off from the first, but I was still able to finish it ahead of PR pace at 8:05. I could feel myself starting to wear down, but I knew I needed to finish strong.

In the final mile, there were a number of runners that started to fall off pace, and I kept myself motivated by targeting various runners as my next victim for passing. The strategy worked, and I only lost a few seconds off of my second mile time finishing the third mile in 8:08.

The sprint to the finish line from there was a short one (by my GPS watch the course was 3.07 miles just slightly shy of the 3.11), and I was back at the bar 24:42 after the time I started beating my previous 5K PR by 53 seconds (roughly 17 seconds per mile).

The race took quite a bit out of me, and I spent a number of minutes afterwards walking around and drinking water to recover. Once I felt pretty good I headed into the bar for the post race celebration. Entry in the race came with a free pint, and I decided to try their Homeland Stout. I thought it was pretty good for a Stout, and by checking into it on Untappd, I earned both the Sac Beer Week and Beer Party badges. Score!

About an hour after the start of the run, they posted times and handed out awards to the top finishers. Not surprisingly, I didn't place, but I was pleased to see that I finished 8th (out of 26) in the Men's 30-39 division and 25th out of the 188 participants.

After awards, I decided it was time for lunch, and I was happy to see that one of the food trucks I've been wanting to try (Cichy Co.) was at the bar. I decided to try the Uncle Bob Sandwich (a fried mortadella sandwich) and the grilled artichoke (with choice of aioli - I went with the spicy). Both were delicious, and I would have them again (and I look forward to trying other sandwiches from Cichy Co.). I paired my lunch with New Helvetia's Buffalo Craft Lager. It was tasty, but I preferred the stout.

I definitely enjoyed the Sac Beer Week 5K, and I would certainly run it again. The race was put on by the Sloopy Moose Running Club which meets at New Helvetia every Thursday for a run. Not sure how often Thursday would work for me, but it'll definitely be something that I keep in mind.