The SAM’s 5K is the first 5K I’ve entered, and like in my other runs, I was lifted by my Team Twitter buddies, this time @alohajohn, @tadasauce, @bevclemente, @janck, and @shmerin.

5K isn’t very far; according to Google it’s 3.10685596 miles, meaning it’s about the same distance I’ve been running a few mornings a week. It also was a flat course so I didn’t have the challenges I do with other runs. This was basically 1.75 laps around Kapi’olani Park in Honolulu, starting at 7 am so it was nice and cool still.

One of the nice things about the run was that I just got a new heart rate monitor, so I was able to use that to help to gauge my effort (more on the heart rate monitor later). As it was a short course, I tried to make sure I had enough in reserve to finish strong. I went from trying to keep my heart rate at 165 for the majority of the event to between 170 and 175 after the final turn, and at 180 once I could see the finish.

It worked pretty well. My per mile clip was 11:03, which for me is remarkably fast–my pace for the Great Aloha Run in 2009 was 12:52 and 12:44 the year before on a longer, 8.15 mile (13.1161536 kilometer) course; at the Ford Island Bridge Run 10K it was 13:22. So for me this isn’t just fast, it’s way faster than I usually run in an event. It was fast enough, in fact, for me to finish third in the 40-44 year old men’s age group, and I won a ribbon for that, the first time I’ve ever placed in a running or racing event.

Of course, there were only three of us in that category, but it’s still an accomplishment.

Next event: the Harold Chapson 8K in January.

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