Typically, I am pretty “gun-ho” about writing these race recaps; but this one just doesn’t want to get itself on paper. Honestly, I do these recaps for others enjoyment {I hope someone actually enjoys them!}, but truly for selfish reasons too. Because one day, I am sure that I will want to relive my “glory days” of running by reading & re-reading all of these wonderful experiences. Sure, some are more superb than others! BUT, they are all reminiscences on this awesome journey we call life.
I don’t really recall exactly how long ago I registered for this race, but I’ve known for quite a while that it would be my final race of 2014. It was my current 5K PR, from last years’ race. It was the race I was most focused upon for the latter half of the year, besides the marathon, of course. I knew I wanted to race it & there was no secret or denying that I was trying to PR it.
Sometimes though, life throws you an obstacle, or in this case, obstacles. For me & this particular race, they came in the form of: 1) little mini-men in my life being sick, 2) their germs spreading to their momma, in the form of a cruddy sore throat, 3) the grimy germs keeping a cute little boy awake in the wee hours of the morning {really, who else but a silly, sleep-deprived 2y/o wanders aimlessly at 2:30am?!}, & 4) simply put, being a woman {grrrrr! no further explanation needed}. BUT, despite all of these annoyances, I was determined to not let them GIVE me an excuse. I wanted to run, & I wanted to run fast; specifically, at an average pace of 7:23/mile. This would equate to breaking through to the 22:xx 5K time—also a 10 sec PR, for a goal finishing time of 22:59. Seems easy enough….. right?!
Leading up to the race, I had planned to run with my running partner as my pacer, getting me happily to the finish line. Unfortunately, she had her own grimy germs to deal with & was unable to pace me on race day. So about 36 hours out from gun time, I learned this unfortunate news & knew I would be on my own on race morning. As much as I love Julie & her pacing me, it was going to be a nice treat to do this all on my own. Or so I thought. Ha!
The nice thing about these 5Ks in the fall/winter, is that race time is later, which means not having to wake up at the butt crack of dawn! I woke up at 7am & by 8am my sister & I were headed the 12 minutes to Portsmouth, VA for the race. We arrived, with a few minutes to spare, so we enjoyed the warmth of the car. After wandering around for a bit, I then split off from my sister & enjoyed a slow 0.65 mile warm-up. As I waited for the “gun” I enjoyed a couple of minutes to chat with fellow Running Etc. Ambassador, Andrea {congrats Andrea on your 1st place AG win!}; as well as a couple of other local runner friends. We were situated right in the front, with only a line of guys in front of us.
The sister and I on race morning
And just like that, we were off. Mile 1 ticked by pretty quickly. As I have done in so many of my 7 total 5Ks, I tried not to start too quickly. But, I wasn’t very successful. I was way faster than goal time for the first few minutes & didn’t settle into goal pace until 3 minutes into the race. Whoops; dang race day adrenaline!
Mile 1 – 7:16
That silly mile 2—always my slowest. This is the area I have determined I need to improve upon in 2015. During this portion of the race, I am always wishing I was running a longer & slower distance. Hmmm, marathon pace, where are you, I thought as I ran. However, I tried to keep my head in the race & my time on the watch under 7:30. Sometimes that happened; sometimes it didn’t.
Mile 2 – 7:33
And now, I was tired. The fatigue of the night-awakenings was settling in. Waaaaaaa, I just want a nap. And. I just want to be free of germs. And. Hey, I just want some wine! Oh and. What if I just stopped & walked to the finish line. Those were some of my random thoughts during mile 3. One minute I would calculate that I could still PR. Then the next, I was a Debbie-downer & just knew it was next to impossible. Oh, & did I mention the many turns?! The course was different from last year, & according to my watch, more accurate for a 5K distance; last year my Garmin clocked 3.02 miles, whereas this year, it clocked 3.12 miles.
The course map, along the pretty harbor of Portsmouth, Virginia!
Mile 3 – 7:33
Okay, now I can “kick it”.
Final 0.12 miles to the Finish – 6:48
Whoops, I pushed just a bit too late. Dang! Less than 5 seconds from a PR.
Garmin Time: 23:13 (7:26/mile)
Official Time: 23:12 (7:29/mile)
Overall: 38 out of 523
Gender: 11 out of 318
Age Group: 3 out of 51
Although I did give it my all during this race, I am sure there were moments where I could have improved & taken a second here & there; which would have equated to my PR. My legs have definitely been a bit sore since the race, so I know I did my best. I was also very tired that evening, which sometimes doesn’t happen when I leave “gas” in my “tank”. The nice thing about running, there is always the next race {though, this was not my sentiment on Saturday—after “failing” at the race!}. I WILL break through this PR wall, but it will have to come in 2015. So I say to the next one, BRING IT ON!
Oh & my recap would be incomplete without thanking the fabulous race coordinators & volunteers at this race! It was a cold & slightly windy morning; during which they all kept smiles on their faces! Additionally, Running Etc. graciously donated the overall & age group winner prizes; which I was lucky enough to be a part of & score a $10 gift certificate! Whoop Whoop! My very first “cash-in” for an age group placement! One of the happiest moments of the day—catching up with my sister just moments after she finished the race. She earned an impressive PR time—that blog post to come soon!!
3rd place AG winner price!
Next Up For The Running Blonde: A few weeks of rest/recovery & easy runs, then The Frozen Booty 8K on the 3rd of January
Lots of people enjoy your race recaps, like me. We will be looking forward to more of them in 2015 (as we have been doing). Good luck in those races in 2015.