Felix Wong passing women who got a three-minute head start in the 2019 Catch Me If You Can 5k.
Photo by Green Events

Catch Me If You Can 5k

For whatever reason, I figured running this five-kilometer race would feel easy. Maybe it’s because I ran challenging marathons each of the last two weekends with satisfying results. My fitness after those two tests seemed decent and this race would be less than a tenth their distance. In addition, last month at a 5k held on dirt trails with hills, I ran 21:01.

Surely, then, I could run this course in under 21 minutes, right?

I’ll keep this post short and simple: no!

There were a few things that prevented me from doing so. There was a bit of a traffic jam on the Poudre Trail with female runners starting three minutes before the chasing men. It was cold (albeit sunny outside). I got a side stitch yet again before the midway point. There was ice about 10 meters before the finish line, which I slipped on and had to cease sprinting to not to take a fall.

Mostly, though, it probably comes down to conditioning. I just didn’t have the speed today.

Oh well. At least I took home a division win. And a heart-shaped pie for that effort. Green Events always puts on fun races. This was no exception.

Race Data

Final time: 21:29 (6:57/mile)
Overall place: 10/253
Division place: 1/16
Official results (timing was off by 33 seconds)

Strava

Red "Taken" stickers at the 2019 Catch Me If You Can 5k & 10k race.
Red "Taken" stickers at the 2019 Catch Me If You Can 5k & 10k race.
Runners at the start of the 2019 Catch Me If You Can 5k.
Photo by Green Events
Runners at the start of the 2019 Catch Me If You Can 5k.
Felix Wong passing women who got a three-minute head start in the 2019 Catch Me If You Can 5k.
Photo by Green Events
Felix Wong passing women who got a three-minute head start in the 2019 Catch Me If You Can 5k.
I received this heart-shaped pie (made by Me Oh My in LaPorte) for winning my age group.
I received this heart-shaped pie (made by Me Oh My in LaPorte) for winning my age group.