Fifth Season Races 8K race recap

So there I was…

Not only embarking on a Fourth of July race, but also returning to a specific race’s start line after a 7-year gap. 

With a solid week of sudden extreme heat (and off-the-charts humidity), the race day forecast had been looking sketchy as well. We’re talking 30% - 50% of rain, depending on which weather app you chose to access.

Alas, it was looking to be a muggy morning, rain or not…

I’ve only run this race once before, back in 2019, when Barb and I decided to deviate from the nearby race we’d done numerous times prior. That morning’s forecast also kept us guessing until race time as to whether we’d be running in the rain or not. 

In 2019, with Barb!

Packet pick-up was at Big Grove Brewery, on Friday. We were under a time crunch, so we swung through there and grabbed my bib while on our 32-ish mile ride in the late afternoon. 

I’d heard some thunder rumblings overnight (and in the early hours), and it was looking damp outside upon wake-up. A short while later, I received an email notification stating there was a 30-minute delay due to lightning (ugh). I was planning to wear either a white visor or hat (as part of my red, white and blue color scheme)…rain would be the deciding factor.

There were a few intermittent sprinkles as we drove to the race site, but that all had moved on by the time we arrived downtown Cedar Rapids (yay!). 

Originally, the 8K racers were going to start at 7:30, and the 5K peeps at 7:45. The delay, though, had all of us lining up together, at 8:00. 

The route began with us headed northeast, on 3rd Avenue. As is typical, it was a clustered mess of runners in that first mile. Also, as is typical, those crowded conditions made it difficult to get in a steady running groove, but also forced me into a fairly conservative starting pace. 

Although the precipitation was out of the way, the heavy humidity was still hanging over us. I’d made the command decision to bring my handheld water bottle, and was grateful to have done so. 

Shortly after the 1-mile mark, the route took a right turn, and had us then heading east on Grand. I didn’t think I’d run that first mile very aggressively, given the crowded conditions, but when my Garmin beeped it showed a 9:04 split (Oops!). That’s not an especially fast pace for me, but definitely faster than necessary for Mile-1 on an especially muggy 5-mile race course. 

The route continued on Grand, with a gradual incline and a few subtle turns until the turn-around in Bever Park. Although I was thankful for the elevation decline approaching the turn-around, the resulting incline (coming out of it) was tough. I opted for a short walk break to catch my breath and sip some water.

Once I got past the 3-mile mark, my energy seemed to return. The majority of the remaining course felt much easier, and the gradual decline in elevation seemed more dramatic than the incline had felt in the first half of the race. I was good with that.

Admittedly, I did take a couple additional walk breaks, though they were brief (maybe 10 seconds each?). That said,  Mile-4 actually felt really good, even in the oppressive humidity! 

After returning to 3rd Avenue, the timing mat and inflated arch were visible way off on the distance. That final stretch to the finish line, in that final mile, seemed to take forever, LOL Alas, I did my best to keep my gaze focused on the ground, so as not to see that arch (which didn’t appear to be getting any closer despite my steps moving towards it). 

At long last, the arch was within my reach, and I was able to kick-it-in for the finish. I spotted Scott, and he’d spotted me. I made it across the mat and through the arch, and my sweaty self was glad to be done. 

Once I caught my breath, only a few minutes later, I felt great. Granted, every inch of me was a glistening mess, but I didn’t feel fatigued or even lightheaded despite the humid conditions. 

 

How did I do?

 My splits were a little mixed, due to the walk breaks:

My stats:

The best thing about the finish line was the bomb pops. I may have eaten two…

As for swag, there was optional event shirt (cotton blend, I believe), but I took a pass. Although the finisher medals are relatively simple in design, I love that they commemorate USA’s 250th birthday. 

So, that’s the story of my 2026 Fourth of July race. I’m kind of a sucker for holiday-themed races, and this was a fun one. After a 2-year sabbatical from racing on Independence Day, I was glad to pin on a race bib and dress in red, white, and blue running gear.   

I’m linking this with Jenny and Jenn for the TuesdayTopics Linkup. 

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