Cooper's Run 5K Orem UT Race Start 08:30 1.5 mile warmup unofficial race time 18:40* 1st place Over all Mile 1 5:49 Mile 2 5:53 11:42 Mile 3 5:39 17:21 *My Forerunner 305 claims a total of 3.22 miles in the race making my 3.1 mile time 17:58. Avg HR 173 Peak HR 182 Avg Mile 5:47 5.23 mile cool down Time 41:35 Avg pace 7:57 No HR Data During Thursday’s interval session I decided that I really needed a 5K this weekend. After searching the calendar I found the Cooper’s Run. Having a child named Cooper, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to do the race. Because this race was a memorial race, and due to the tragic way young Cooper died, I fully expected an emotional wife for the event. At the one mile mark there were about 6 strong runners in the lead pack. Looking around, I noticed that I was by far the oldest. At this point I was convinced that my odds of winning this race were slim to none. However over the second mile the pace thinned down to myself and one other person. Around 2.25 miles I checked my watch for a pace update and my fellow runner asked what the pace was. I told him “5:35”. He said “man this is cooking, we need to slow down”. I looked at him, smiled and said, “you first”. He was not slowing down. At about 2.5 miles I decided I really had to make a go of it if I was going to have a chance to win. I could almost feel him breathing down my neck for the rest of the race. At the end I had only won by a few seconds. It has been many years since I had really raced someone. It felt great. I’m sure I would not have run as fast alone. Over, all the race was a great event, for a great cause. There were some signs that the race had been put on by a non-runner. For example the starting line was not well defined, it was more like a starting area, The mile signs never made it to the course, and there were prizes given to the top 3 overall. This naturally is not very fair to the women in the race. However, I’m sure that they will work this all out for next years race. The game’s, firetruck, Airmed helicopter, and crash simulator were all a big hit. | 