Craig Heisey Memorial 5K Race Report

Ran the first ever Craig Heisey Memorial 5K this past Saturday. Despite training for and running 4 marathons in the last year and a half, I can't remember the last time I ran a 5K. I know it was sometime in the early to mid 90s. A guy from work organized a team for the Lancaster Corporate Run, and we came in second overall. I know my time was in the low 19:00s or high 18:00s, but that's all I remember.

The run started at the local high school, which is a mile from my house, so I ran there to warm-up. I got checked in and then went down to the track to do some more running and to go through form drills.. Felt good, but the sun was really heating things up.

Race went off at 8:30. I didn't really have a strategy; I have run so few of these things and so long ago, that I wasn't quite sure what I could do or how to do it. Fortunately, the guy who organized the Corporate Run team was in the race, and he told me that he was shooting for @ 19:40, which seemed like a reasonable goal to me.

Started out and had no problem maintaining pace. In fact, we were running sub 6:00, and I felt I had it in the tank to go even faster, or to at least hold that for awhile. Crossed the first mile in 5:56.

Now, a little about the course. This is probably one of the toughest 5K courses in our area as it has a mini "heartbreak hill." The course goes out and back, so you run down it first, but then it hits you squarely in the guts on the way back and at the worst possible time for a 5K: right at the 2 mile mark.

At the two mile mark, which is at the base of the hill, I was on 6:06 pace. I was running right on the heels of my "rabbit" and another student who was on the Donegal XC team. I decided to make a move on them...and paid dearly. They both broke me on the hill, and put about 20-25 yards on me after they crested. For the final mile, which is generally uphill, I was holding on for dear life. The sun was also having an effect, but I pushed on and was even able to manage a little sprint at the end.

Results and Final Comments

* Time: 20:23; 6th place overall; 1st in my age group. Woohoo!!! I earned a "golden sneaker."

* I really wanted to run sub 20:00. On another course, without such a significant hill, I know I have it in me to go perhaps as low as 19:30. That's the peculiarity of road racing: 5K is 5K, but every course is different in respect to elevation and time of the year when it is run.

* I knew Craig Heisey. He worked for the Merchandiser selling advertising. Between the Marines and teaching, I worked for a bedding store and he stopped to by on a sales call. That was 20 years ago. When I was teaching at Donegal, I had his son in class. I lost touch after that, but was shocked to read in the paper about a year ago that he passed away from ALS. At the start of the race, there were words spoken about Craig and his life and love of sporting events. The race director said to run the race for all those people, such as Craig, who couldn't run anymore.

* The race was organized by a student who was a friend of the family and who chose to do it for her senior project. Proceeds went to Rainbow's End Youth Center. I was impressed by her organizational skills and that she undertook such an extensive project. She should be commended.