Principal 5K Road Race - 2022 recap

Have you ever, as a runner, had a last-minute change of course (literally)?

Well, this wasn't just a change of course, it also was a change of registration. Switching from the half marathon to the 5K not only shaved 10 miles off my race day, but also gave my recent bodily grievances a break. Oh, and there was that unexpected age group award...

This past weekend was the 21st year of the IMT Des Moines Marathon, and my 11th year participating in the festivities. No doubt, this is something I look forward to every year and I'm no stranger to all the fun: 

***I have run the Half Marathon in 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2021

***I ran the Full Marathon in 2014

***I ran the 5K in 2015 (as part of the 5K/13.1 Combo)

***I ran the Mercy Live Up Loop 5-mile in 2016 (as part of the 5 Mile/13.1 Combo) and also in 2017 and 2021

 

My collection of medals from years past...

So yeah. For the first time ever, I down-scaled a race registration. Amazingly, it really was an easy decision, and it was made without much deliberation nor any regrets. Since I was switching to a shorter distance (which had a less expensive registration price tag), there was no additional fee, but I did have to make that adjustment onsite at the expo (since I'd waited until practically the last minute).

Anyways, race day arrived, bringing with it cool temps, but little-to-no wind. I was totally fine with that! Since I was "only" running 3.1 miles, though, I was a little unsure how many layers I'd need. I took a gamble with a tank top (with arm warmers) layered under a flannel-lined long-sleeved top, and capri leggings (spoiler: I nailed it!)

Barb and I arrived in downtown Des Moines a little before 7:30. She was running the half marathon, which had an 8:00 start time; my 5K didn't start until 8:30. As we were making our way towards the start line area, we ran into some of our fellow teammates from the Market-to-Market Relay! Lauren and Mary were running the full, and Mae and Rebecca were running the half. Small world, huh!

 

Barb headed out to the street, and took her place among the others. I got to stay back and watch. Yes, it did feel weird to not be lining up beside her, among the huge crowd of long-distance runners. But, I didn't have any feelings of sadness or remorse (though there was a tad bit of FOMO, LOL).

Once all the marathoners, half-marathoners, and first-leg relay runners were past the start line, several of us 5K-ers headed out into the street. The announcers were great entertainment while many of us did  dynamic stretches and warm-up drills. I contemplated going for an easy-paced 1-mile run to loosen-up the legs, but I didn't want to "waste" a mile before the race even started not knowing if my legs would even want to run 3.1 miles. Instead, I chatted with a couple of gals and we exchanged recommendations on bucket lists marathons (Flying Pig, Twin Cities, Detroit, Fargo, Route 66, Marine Crops...just to name a few).

Needless to say, those 30 minutes went quickly. Before long, Court Street was filling up with runners again; this time it was the Principal 5K racers.

Although I knew I had made the right decision in switching to the 5K, I still was unsure how the morning would play out. Even though 3.1 miles is a lot shorter than the half marathon, it still was a race. And, let's not forget, the 5K distance is not exactly my favorite race distance. Alas, it's almost like my Garmin was trying to tell me something when I pulled it from the charger...

So, the Principal 5K begins!

We headed east, on Court Street with a quick right turn down SW 2nd Street. A very short while later (like, two city blocks), had us turning right onto MLK Parkway. 

Did I mention that, right outta the gate, my glute/upper hammy was not happy? Nothing really hurt, but oh, did things feel tight! As we continued on MLK, eventually passing the 1-mile mark, all I could think about was how thankful I was that I'd listened to my body (and followed my gut instinct). I would have had all kinds of anxiety had there been double digit miles on my plate (and I'm not usually an anxious person). 

Shortly after the 1-mile mark, the route veered northwest (on 12th Street), taking on a slight incline. Ugh, that was NOT what my grumpy glute was craving. I glanced at the Garmin, and saw I'd run that first mile in 8:45. I was both relieved (that I hadn't started out any faster) and nervous (because that 8:45 split had felt tougher than it should have).

The race course then took us to Locust Street, where we turned left (going west). A short ways later, the route curved south (onto 15th). There was a water station near the 1.5-mile mark, so I grabbed a cup and took a short walk break. We then went east, back on MLK. I could see the 2-mile mark up ahead, a short distance past the Mile 25 sign (for the marathoners). 

Although I wasn't feeling fatigued, my mind and body just weren't working in sync. The grumpy glute did feel (finally!) like it was starting to loosen up, but it still had just enough tightness that it made me feel like I'd been running the entire race uphill. I did take another short walk break, somewhere in the second half of the second mile.

As we neared the 3-mile mark (still on MLK), the route took us on a short out-and-back before turning north (back on 12th Street) for the final jaunt back to where we'd started. The crowd support was nice, which made the last climb up 12th more enjoyable than taxing.

A quick left turn, on Court Street, and the finish line was less than a city block away. Before I knew it, I'd crossed the finish line, turned off the Garmin, and had my finisher medal in hand. Whew! And I was glad to be done. 

How did I do? It wasn't my worst 5K, but it definitely wasn't my best, either.

I had an approximate hour before Barb would be coming through the chute, so I took my time walking around. I snapped a few pics, did some stretching, grabbed a carton of chocolate milk and meandered over to the results tent. 

And then, wow. I had a moment of shock and disbelief.

Seeing the 3rd place age group finish really caught me off guard. Don't get me wrong, I'm not discounting my efforts, performance or finish time. But, this was a 5K (my least favorite distance) and my grumpy glute had given me quite a bit of attitude for most of those 3.1 miles. This certainly brightened my day! (hold that thought...and see the footnote, below)

My stats showed my third place AG was from a field of 25 other "old gals." Also, I placed 69th out of the 390 women racers, and 166th (overall) out the 646 total racers. Things that make you go Hmmmm, right?

As for Barb and Allison (who we found after the race), they both had sub-2:00 finishes!!!

How about the swag! I gotta confess, I had the option to swap my Half Marathon hoody for the 5K shirt (I had to wait to do that after the race, though)...and the 5K shirt was kinda meh. It actually was almost an identical color and style as last year's half marathon jacket. So, I opted to just keep this year's half marathon hoody. I know, I know...I didn't run the 2022 half marathon, but I've run it nine other times. I'll just treat this hoody as a promo piece of swag. Besides, it's such a pretty color!

In addition to the hoody (the full marathoners got olive green hoodies), all participants got socks,  courtesy of DMOS (Des Moines Orthopedic Surgeons, who sponsored the expo). BTW, they are the surgery group who took care of me, back in 2017, when I had my knee surgery.

And, the Principal 5K medal features the Principal Tower, a famous landmark in downtown Des Moines (home of Principal Financial Group, who sponsored the 5K race). Nice, huh!

...and that's the end of the story. 

Well, there is a small footnote...... 

I learned, late Sunday evening, that I actually placed fourth in my age group, LOL. It's an odd thing. The final results show that I still had the same place standings elsewhere (among the women and overall), so I don't know if this mysterious other gal's age had previously been in error? I'd gotten my printout quite awhile after finishing the race, so it's strange the standings would change after so much time had elapsed. Oh well, a fourth place AG is still a victory for me. Onward!

Have you ever had to scale-back to a shorter distance, due to injury? Do you have a favorite event that offers various distance options on race day (or over a weekend)? Ever have an age group award "taken" from you after the fact? 

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

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