Monday, June 18, 2012

Dash4Dad 4-Mile Race Round-Up

My dad starting running in 2011.  He routinely strength trained, but cardiovascular exercise was never really his thing until I suggested running the Run with Dad 5K last year in Reston.  I felt an incredible sense of pride when we crossed the finish line together.  After that race, Dad caught the running bug and has raced 3 5Ks over the last year.

This Father's Day, Dad and I decided to run the Dash4Dad 4-Miler.

Sunday was an absolutely perfect day to run.  I hadn't raced since Providence, so I was itching to see what I could do after my month off from intense training.  Dad and I started together, but I found my happy pace quickly and went with it.  (We registered as a team, and Dad and I discussed that I should run ahead if I wanted to and was able to run faster.)  The course was very similar to the Love the Run You're With 5K, with a modified start and finish location.  After the first hill, I pushed faster but felt very comfortable.

At the turnaround, I tried to see if I could spot my dad on the course.  I didn't, but figured that he wasn't much farther behind.  With the finish line in sight, I made a final push and crossed the finish line.  My dad -- awesomely -- was less than a minute behind.

The race by the numbers:
Gun Time: 36:42

Me
Net Time: 36:10
Average Pace: 9:03

Dad
Net Time: 37:01
Average Pace: 9:16

Among Father-Daughter Teams (by daughter's age group), Dad and I placed 5th, with an average time of 36:36:01.  What an amazing way to spend Father's Day morning!

2 comments:

  1. nice job!! congrats :) i wish i could get my dad to run with me.. your dad is a baller!

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  2. Thanks! I think the key is to register your dad first, and tell him that he's running later.

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