2011 Ace of Diamonds 5K Race Review

Race: Ace of Diamonds 5K
Date: August 21, 2011
Location: Clearwater, Florida

Registration: I registered for this race as part of the Aces are Wild Series, which also includes a 10K, 15K and 1/2 Marathon. You could have also registered for each of the races individually but there was a discount for doing all of them at once. The online registration for this was on Active.com, which means that there were processing fees attached to the registration fee.

Parking: After the fiasco of the first race I ever ran (the 2011 Athleta Iron Girl Clearwater event), I have a tendency to get to the race start as soon as I possibly can. I got to the Parking area at 6:30, which was an hour before the start. I had no problems finding a parking spot but the lot did fill up as it got closer to the start of the race. The Parking area was a bit of a walk (almost 10 minutes) from the packet pick up and race start. There weren’t any volunteers to show you where to go so you really had to know your way around the area.

Packet Pick Up: The packet pick up area was about a 10 minute walk from the parking area. To be honest, I was a little disappointed with the “packet”. This race was definitely on the no frills side. No goodie bags or packets just a tech shirt (very nice) and a race number. I personally like the goodie bags with the swag. The lines moved fairly quickly and didn’t really get backed up at all. After you checked in, the volunteers gave you a number, safety pins and your shirt. I was also a little disappointed that this race wasn’t chip timed.

Getting to the Start: The starting location was in the same areas as the packet pick up. Once you got your number and shirt you didn’t have to go very far to get to the starting line. The port-o-potties were located in the same area, which was nice. Logistically speaking, everything was pretty simple except for the distance to the parking area.

Course Review: Course Map
The only thing I can say about this course is OH MY GOSH! The course was described as a loop with a mixture of flat and hills. For a girl who runs in the Florida, a hill is usually nothing more than a bridge going to the beach. The course followed the Ream Wilson Trail, which is a paved trail and by trail I mean it goes through the woods and over the river. The first and third miles included fours hills with a 10% grade and a rather large pedestrian bridge. The second mile was the flatter portion of the course and was along a boardwalk that crossed over a pond.

The views on the course were really nice especially in the wooded area. I felt like I was back in the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina except for the fact that I was covered in sweat after the very first hill also known as the Ream Wilson Trail Pedestrian Bridge. The pond also provided some beautiful views but it was a little tainted for me due to the blaring sunlight.

This course is not a great course if you are looking to PR. It is however a good one if you are looking to improve your hill technique. The hills on the course are crazy and definitely provide a challenge.

What I learned: Today I learned that I am not very strong when it comes to hills, which I will have to figure out how to deal with sooner or later. Knowing that this course was going to have hills, I started running at what I considered a slower pace for a race and I didn’t let it bother me when I was being passed. I also learned that hydration is very important. I spent the last week really making sure that I drank plenty of water each day so that I wouldn’t be dehydrated going into today. I knew that it was likely to be really hot and humid today and hydration is really important in those conditions.

Best Part and Worst Part: The best part for me was actually completely my goals for the race. I actually ran the entire course, which was quite a fantastic feat for me and I wasn’t sure that I would be able to do it on this course. The fresh fruit at the finish line was also really good. The worst part was probably the hills. I was totally not prepared for that feature on the course but I ran them and I feel like a better runner because of it.

Overall Recommendation: I will definitely be doing this race next year if it fits into my schedule. I think that it will be a great test to see how much my running has improved in a year’s time. If you are looking for a hilly course that is similar to trail running (paved), then this is a great race for you. It is hot and humid but the shaded areas really take the bite out the sun glaring down on you. The only drawback to this race is that it isn’t chip timed. I had to write me time down on a card and turn it in after I was done running.