Wanna Race? Bud's Run, June 23 - Aiming for 24:15

Saturday, June 23, I intend on running Bud's Run, also called "Celebrate Life Run," also called the Bud Swanson Memorial 5K.

My goal is a 24:15.

That's roughly a 7:49 or 7:50/mile. Last year's results would put me at 86th place for 24:15 and 7th in my age group, or 105th for the 25:12 I did at Cosley.

269 finishers in 2006. The winner came in at 16:26.4 (5:18 mile). 25th was a 19:16.1. 50th = 21:54.4, 75th = 23:29.8.

My time range, since I will do my best to start at 7:50, is from 23:22-25:00. I think the negatives in the Cosley race will be compensated for. As to how fast I can really go, in a best case scenario with two 7:50 miles, I don't see myself beating 7:00/m pace for the last 1.1 miles, hence, the 23:22.

I have a few reasons to believe I can pull it off, but also, a few arguments against.

For: Since Cosley (June 2, 25:12), a humid race in which I started too fast and had lots of people around me, I have had a few good workouts and increasing aerobic runs. I'm a pretty disciplined runner, so, if I can feel the pace, or otherwise know I'm hitting it, I am not likely to deviate until the third mile. Then, whatever's left gets left on the course.

Against: Although I have done some speedwork indicating I can run at a faster clip in a longer run, I am missing the experience of faster miles. To my knowledge, I have run only one mile faster than 8:00. All the 400s and 800s aren't 1600s. With only one race behind me, determining where I am likely to land in a race is, in part, a guess. I simply have not run that fast, and do not know what it feels like.

It is a 5K, organized to remember a high school cross country coach who passed away from sarcoma.

All proceeds from this race will be given to the Sarcoma Foundation of America to fund research to find new and better therapies with which to treat patients with sarcoma.

According to their website:

USATF Certified Course #IL-05011-JW. Start and Finish are on Fountainview in Town Center near the huge white tent. The run/walk will be primarily on runner-friendly paths through residential lakesides and Armstrong Park. This race uses the ChampionChip timing system.

Put on your sneakers and run.