Monday, July 5, 2021

Sully Freedom Fun Run 5K - 2021 recap



So, it was a 4th of July 5K on the 5th, none the less.

That's what happens (sometimes) when our nation's birthday lands on a Sunday. Not a problem; not an issue. But it does make for a fun play on words.

This was the 26th year of the Sully Freedom Fun Run 5K, and it (consequentially) was my first 5K in just over three months. The temps (and humidity) were just as expected, the race day excitement was on par, and (despite the previous day's 46-mile bike ride) my body was ready for some action. 

This was not my first rodeo on this race course. I've been there many times before, in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2020. I had to skip in 2017 (as I was enjoying luxury accommodations, via a hospital bed, in recovery from surgery) and in 2019 (when I elected to run a different race).

As mentioned, the weather was just what one would expect in Iowa in July.


With an 8:20 start time for the 5K (following the 1-mile run, which would start at 8:00), we left town at 7:20 for the approximate 20-minute trek to the town of Sully. Once there, we easily checked in and got our race packets (we = myself, the hubby, and Barb). 

As we were getting ready for an easy-paced 1-mile warm-up run, Allison found us (another local runner friend, who I've just recently become acquainted with). The hubby took our packets back to the car, and the three gals headed off for our warm-up.

Somehow, every time I've run this race, I've gone into race day with some concern as to how I'd do. The warm, humid weather was pretty much a constant, but this particular year I'd also done an ambitious 46 miles of biking on Sunday, as well as a somewhat tough 12-mile run on Saturday. Even though this race was run mainly for fun (because, hello! It's usually held on Independence Day!), each year I've been able to snag an age group award...and it would be nice for that tradition to continue. Just saying.


So, that being said, I did come armed and ready with my own bottle of water (to stay as hydrated as possible, and to avoid the water stand at the approximate halfway point). Trust me, this was much more for convenience than a time-savor.

Barb and I have run this race numerous times, but it was Allison's first time on this race course. The hubby has been nursing some weird cramping in the calf muscles, so he wasn't sure how things would play out. Fortunately, the town of Sully is pretty small, and the race course is two laps around a large portion of the residential area...so if he needed to bail, he wouldn't have far to walk to get back to the town square, where the start and finish lines were.

The starter gun fired, and we were off! Within the first few blocks (not even a 1/4 mile), I was already feeling thirsty. Thankfully, there was intermittent shade along many of the tree-lined streets.

I heard my Garmin beep, and saw I'd run the first mile in 8:09. Whoa! That's way too fast on a hot summer day, especially when there's still another two miles (and change) remaining. I'd lost sight of Barb, but Allison passed me shortly after the 1-mile mark. I didn't know if I'd see the hubby or not since I knew he'd be running pretty conservatively.


I kept taking small sips of my water, every 1/4 mile or so. There were a couple of spots where the residents had set out sprinklers near the street, so I made certain to run through those (on both laps).

The course looped back to the town square, but I didn't see the hubby anywhere...so that was a good sign his calves weren't giving him too much trouble and that he was able to run without issue.


As I made my way around the second lap, I continued to feel constantly thirsty...so I kept sipping my water (boy, was I ever glad I'd decided to bring it along!). Allison kept her lead on me, but I still wasn't able to spot Barb anywhere.

I finally made it to the final stretch, and only had the loop around the town square remaining. Still no sight of the hubby. The street was lined with numerous spectators for the jaunt around the square, so there was plenty of cheering as I made my way around the final corner and through the finish line chute. It felt pretty incredible to be done; I was such a sweaty mess! While I didn't land a 5K PR, I did capture my second fastest finish time (for this event) of 26:05!

My stats:
96th of 230 participants
30th of 112 women
1st of 4 in age group


I grabbed a Gatorade, and walked around for a few minutes. It didn't take long to find Allison and Barb, and the hubby joined us a few minutes later. 


We'd seen our finish times, on the monitor, so we learned we'd all placed in our respective age groups. Thankfully, we had a good 30 minutes to cool off and rehydrate/refuel before we had to think about smiling for the awards ceremony pics. Allison had gotten second place, Barb and the hubby both got third places, and I was able to grab a first place.



Turns out, it was a decent day for us all. Even though the temps were warm and muggy, there was a nice breeze. The post-race refreshments were sufficient...the standard bananas, granola bars, cookies, water and  Gatorade.



The event shirts are nice. They're cotton, so I doubt I'll wear mine, but I think the colors and graphics are eye-catching.


Overall thoughts? I'm pretty happy with how the race went. We all know the heat and humidity are a factor on race day...and both command our respect and attention. My goal is to always run by feel, and to run strong without over-exerting myself. I have a pretty big fear of burning out, so I tend to hold back instead of pushing my pace to the point of exhaustion. For the most part, this serves me well. That said, I seldom ever finish a race feeling totally tapped-out, with nothing left "in the tank," and this race was no exception. I'm fine with that...it would have been stupid to try to push a pace that just wasn't in me on such a hot day (though I do often wonder just how much "faster" I could have finished...).

So that's what went down at the Sully Freedom Fun Run 5K.


Did you run a 4th of July race this year? How daring are you when it comes to pushing your pace, in the heat?

 I'm linking this with Kim and Zenaida for the Tuesday Topics Link-Up


I'm also linking with Debbie, DeborahLisaLaura and Jenn for the Runners' Roundup

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28 comments:

  1. Congrats on the 1st place in your AG, Kim! Well done!
    It's not easy to race in hot and humid weather. Your strategy of holding back at the beginning was a great decision - you don't want to feel exhausted too early in the race.
    I like your colour-coordinated outfit!

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    1. Holding back is not something I feel especially gifted with LOL I tend to hold back too much (and for too long?) in a 5K. Either that or I run the first mile too fast without realizing it (because I'm "keeping up" with everyone else and then spend the remaining two miles trying to hold on for dear life. Thankfully, I was able to scale back my pace enough after the first mile to not crash and burn (my last two miles were 8:23 and 8:22). Whew!

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  2. Good work and well done all of you on your placings!

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    1. Thank you, Liz ;-) The placing is usually by chance (dependent on who else shows up), so it's nice to run a strong race and be able to bring home some "bonus" hardware. My first year, I ran this in 25:27...but placed 2nd LOL

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  3. wow look at you w an age group win! I bet those mile repeats really helped you. I find 5K's really challenging as I tend to take a few miles to warm up. I also have a tendency to start too fast and then peter out. Way to go on a summer hot day!

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    1. I'm still trying to figure out the 5K strategy! I have learned to do an easy-paced warm-up run (if possible), otherwise the first couple miles often feel wasted because my body isn't quite ready.

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  4. Congratulations to all of you! How fun that everyone had such a strong race day!

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    1. It was a fun day! It was crazy hot and humid, but we all were dealt the same weather LOL

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  5. Sounds like a really great race and congrats on winning 1st in your AG - that's huge!!
    I also love that you were able to run the race with your hubby and friends - it makes it that much more fun.

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    1. This race is pretty small, but is very well-organized. It also supports the local cross country and track teams, so it's for a great cause ;-)

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  6. Nice job Kim! Congrats! Running in humidity is always a challenge, racing even more so. I almost always carry my own water, then I can drink when I want to.

    Since our holiday race was on the holiday, and I was visiting family, no race for me. Which is too bad, the weather was perfect -- unusually cool. It is what it is.

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    1. I carried my own water last year, and it worked well. Even though it's "just a 5K," there's only the one water stand (half way through), and it's a hot morning.

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  7. Nice job on your age group placement! That's awesome! I love that you and your husband race together- such a fun activity to do as a couple!

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    1. He has slacked off on his (running) training in recent years, so now I'm the one finish first and waiting for him afterwards LOL I'm just glad he still has an interest in running, especially in the heat!

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  8. Congrats on your AG win! It can be so hard to race in the heat. I've done a few summer 5ks and those later start times make it pretty rough. Great job!

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  9. Congrats on your AG!!! I had a really bad hot race experience last week and was all "I am never racing in the summer again" but I'm already having FOMO so I think that I'm going to have to at least do a July 4th 5k next year. It is so much fun to have a holiday race.

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    1. I love the holiday races, too! I Know most people detest the heat, especially for races, but I like the challenge. Also, I think the heat/humidity kind of levels the playing field some, since none of us are running at our full potential.

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  10. Well done on your AG 1st place award!! Wow! And such great performances by your hubby and friends! Love how you and hubby stood out in your red and blue in both your action shots!!

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    1. Thank you, Shathiso!! This is such a fun event, which is why we return almost every year to run it.

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  11. You did awesome. Congrats on your time and your ag award.

    I never carry water when I race. I depend on the water stops but that does slow me down.

    Every time I go into a race, I say Just run it for fun.

    But I start running and I do my best. Of course if it's not fast enough I get disappointed. That feeling no longer lasts long. I am happy to be out there.

    I did race on July 4th. For the first time ever. It was cooler than previous days but still humid. Can't change the weather. I wanted to win an award and came in 4th but I had a PR. Who can complain about that?

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    1. You said it with perfection...even without an AG award, still a PR! Who can complain about that ;-) The AG awards are nice, but I always say they're contingent on who else shows up. If you run a strong race (and PR, none the less!) then an AG award is just a bonus to a job well done.

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  12. Yay! That sounds like so much fun, and congrats on your AG win! I'm glad your husbands calves were okay- hope that situation is now resolved.
    I know myself well, and I'm completely incapable of holding back if I'm in a race. I was signed up for a July 4th 5k this year, and I suppose I could have gone and did a walk/run (since I'm starting to run again) but I didn't trust myself one bit, so I skipped it. I'll race it next year!

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    1. ha ha! And I Know myself well...I almost ALWAYS hold back instead of pushing too hard. I'm just too paranoid about burning-out too soon. Often times, I do regret not pushing as hard as I "could" have, but it's just not my thing...

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  13. This is awesome! Congrats!! The 4th of July race was held on Saturday but I ended up not running it anyway. Glad I did not register for it. :-)

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  14. Congratulations! What a fun race, and what great finishes! No 4th of July race for me this year. It will be there next year.

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  15. Congrats, Kim, on a great race and an age group win! It sounds like you had a fun day!

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  16. Congrats, especially considering the heat and humidity! 4th of July races always have an extra challenge from the weather!

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