Spring Canyon Park 5k
This weekend, I tackled the Spring Canyon Park 5K, part of the Fort Collins Running Club’s Tortoise & Hare race series. For those unfamiliar, this series uses a unique, staggered start based on estimated pace, where runners begin at different times to finish close together. It’s a fantastic setup that levels the playing field for runners of all paces, awarding points based on finishing order rather than raw time, and providing a welcoming atmosphere for everyone. And, of course, the post-race coffee and snacks are always a great touch!
Two days before the race, a light snow fell here in Fort Collins, but it didn’t stick thanks to warm temperatures. By race day, the weather was mild enough that I was able to run in a T-shirt, shorts, and fingerless gloves.
After a 10–15 minute warm-up jog around the park, I felt ready. My estimated time for the race was 21:58, calculated by the club’s race prediction algorithm, which I actually created years ago for the FCRC. I last updated the predictive part of it in 2012, and it’s been forecasting finish times with remarkable accuracy for T&H participants ever since. This time, I had a slightly faster goal in mind: 21:40. Realistically, that felt achievable with my current fitness. Of course, I’d love to be able to run much faster than that.
When it was my turn to start, I took off with all the energy of a hare. The first kilometer was a gradual uphill, a reminder of why Spring Canyon Park’s course is probably the most rolling one in the series. My armband heart rate monitor registered 180 bpm at the one-kilometer mark, likely due to “cadence lock” as I certainly didn’t feel maxed out running with steady and controlled effort. Fortunately, I usually rely on perceived effort rather than the numbers flashing on my watch for races anyhow.
The early kilometer splits looked promising, and I held my pace pretty well. However, with around 2 kilometers to go, I started to falter slightly—just enough to feel it. A sharp right turn onto some rocky gravel didn’t help either, but I pushed through, managing to keep a steady rhythm.
As I neared the end, the course’s excellent markings made it easy to see the 3-mile marker, leaving just a tenth of a mile to go. I kicked into my finishing sprint, hitting a peak pace of 5:04/mile.
Too bad my average pace wasn’t anywhere near that. When I crossed the finish line, my time was 21:44, exactly a 7-minute-per-mile pace. I was pleased to come within 4 seconds of my goal but a bit bummed not to see my average pace below 7 minutes.
Well, that’s motivation for the next race, whenever that is. Thanksgiving, maybe?
Race Data
Final time: 21:44 (7:00/mile)
Official results
