Day 3,338: Wiphan Warthog Waddle 5K

Second-place age group award, hand carved in Africa.

ROSWELL, Ga. -- I saw the listing for this race at the last minute and decided that a little speedwork in the form of a race couldn't hurt before next week's Charles Harris 10K.

It turned out this was another nicely put-together church race, this one raising money for the wiphans, or widows and orphans in Africa.

The race starts at the Fellowship Bible Church and then winds a loop around neighborhood streets before returning. It has minor rolling hills and is a pretty fast race. It also happens to be USATF certified, which was another plus in my decision to sign on.

Even though I hadn't done too much speedwork since last year, I had high hopes of running a fast race, especially since I've put 6 weeks of core and HIIT work under my belt.

The race started and I knew I should have gotten a little closer than the 4th row from the start -- it took a few seconds to get going and as such, that small amount of time was the difference between 1st and 2nd in my age group. The start was a little congested with lots of kids in front of me and even some guy who cut me off trying to run from the inside to the outside of the race.

I started at a nice pace and wanted to keep it about 6:30/mile but I found myself slowing to 6:55 in the first mile. I steadied myself on the rolling hills but logged a 7:15 time for Mile 2.

At this point I had caught up with a 13-year-old, who was running at a good clip. I hoped he would spur me to a fast finish, like in last year's Bowerman Track Club 5K. But near the end I passed him and finished 5 seconds ahead.

For most of the race I could see the guy who won my age group and at the final turn, I ran out of race, finishing just a second behind.

It still was an excellent race, for a really good cause and a first race like this is a good way to gauge what to focus on the rest of the season. I should be hopeful, too, since last year I ran 22:44 in the Hawks Fast Break 5K and that spurred me onto a season in which I made new PRs in the 5K (a few times), 10 mile and even half marathon last month.

Time: 8:30 a.m.
Temp: 54 degrees
Gear: Technical T-shirt, short (Publix Georgia Marathon white), shorts, Saucony Type A6.