Running a 5K at Golden Gate Park

The 5K race is the most popular race distance in the U.S.

Almost 40% of reported race finishes are in 5K races. At least that is what a USA Track & Field study of 2002 long distance race participation found. The second most popular distance is the 10K, at a little over 13%. The median finish time for men in non-cause events is 26:42 (half finished below this time, half above). For women in non-cause events the median is 33:45. Cause events (such as the Revlon Race for Women and Race for the Cure) tend to have slower times because of the high number of walking participants. I am all-for anyone who gets out and does anything active. So, walk or run, any participation is good.

A 5K is 5,000 meters; about 3.1 miles or 16,404 feet. I am not a big fan of the 5K distance. It usually ends up being a substitute for a longer training run on the weekend and cuts into my mileage. It also takes a full effort for the whole distance, making it more uncomfortable to run. Longer races require more pacing as you ration your resources over more distance. This translates to a slightly slower pace and less acute distress, albeit over a longer time. On the other hand, the 5K produces less wear and tear on the body with faster recovery after a race.

The Race

I ran the DSE Conservatory 5K last Sunday (6/15/08). I wanted to check on my time so that I could see where my training stands and make adjustments. This course is not completely flat, but it is still good for assessing fitness. I arrived about an hour before the race and did a longer warm-up than usual. There was a noticeable breeze blowing in toward the start. Most of the first mile will be running into that wind.

Mile 1: To do well at this distance you must start fast and maintain a fast pace. There is no settling into a pace. The starting call is faster than I anticipate and I am left flat footed as the race begins. I struggle as I am trying to catch my breath and get my breathing in sync with my turnover. As things sort out, I find I am in a pack of six or eight runners. The pace is a little fast for me. I also realize that because I am in this pack I am not fighting the wind. I am in a little distress, but if I drop the pace a little I will be running by myself and fighting the wind. That will leave me in just as much distress. So, I take my chances and stay with the group. Drafting usually is not much help in foot races. This is the first time in over ten years of racing that I thought it was beneficial.

The race starts on JFK Drive more or less at the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. This section of JFK is closed to traffic on Sundays. The road takes a dip near the de Young and gradually rises through a big, though gentle, curve. We go past the Rose Garden. I am running too hard to notice. We take a gentle left at Stow Lake Drive and head up the hill, past the Pioneer Log Cabin, to Stow Lake. I am staying with the group. The one mile mark is at the top of the hill, just before the left turn to go clockwise around Stow Lake. My pace is about 5:59.

Mile 2: We are out of the wind and I need to back-off the pace. The group is starting to break-up, anyway. Stow Lake is man-made, as is much of the park. Strawberry Hill sits in the middle of the lake. It is actually a natural formation and rises 428 feet. We pass the bridge to the island, run gentle curves to the left with a full right turn around a corner of the lake. We get down to MLK Drive, transition to the sidewalk and take hard rights to get back on the road around Stow Lake. We are running a tree lined route, past RV's with dogs playing the grass. We make a full right turn as we head toward the parking lot at the Lake. Through the lot and hit the two mile mark at the far end just before going down the same hill we came up. Pace is 6:12 for the second mile.

Mile 3: Down the hill and back onto JFK Drive. It is now time to close-out of the race. I try to pick my line carefully. The idea is to run tangents between curves so that you run the least distance possible. Nice in theory, but in road races you also have to deal with potholes, the crown of the road and other factors. If you end up fighting broken or sloping pavement, it can cost more energy than the shorter route saves. The paving machines that lay asphalt are a standard width. The place where the seams come together is a little flatter and often a better place to run. I make that sweeping curve and dip near the de Young, again. Even though it takes a little extra energy, I like that stretch. I am still pushing hard, although it seems like I am not pushing hard enough. Then, somewhere in the half to three-quarter mile area, I realize I had better stop pushing the pace so hard. Otherwise, I am going to blow-up before the end of the race. I have been running with and pacing off of another racer. I decide to let him go. I hit mile 3 with another 5:59. Faster than I thought.

The Finish (3.1 Miles): I see the finish clock. I have a chance to break 19 minutes. I am trying to maintain pace. I hit the stopwatch on my wrist watch and it shows 18:54. There are only a hand full of times I have broken 19 minutes for a 5K. I am very happy.

After the Race

I walk and then slowly run after catching my breath. The slow run is supposed to keep your muscles from stiffening and help to clear lactic acid. I cheer a few people I know who are headed to the finish. At the water cooler, I see the guy who I let go before the finish and congratulate him on a good race. He had more at the end than I did. He tells me he saw the clock and realized he had a chance for a personal record time. He pushed to the finish and got the PR. I congratulated him again. That is a great accomplishment.

My time is better than I expected. I can now take that time and use it to recalculate may training paces using the Daniels VDOT tables from "Daniels' Running Formula." The endorphins are kicking in. Life is grand.