Short version: I made it in 46:39! Walk/run combo, felt pretty good. 15:01 pace. I'm amazed at that pace for how much I walked!
Long version: I did not train like a person should for a 5K, but I don't like those 5K training plans for some reason. That being said, I did run the course twice in the weeks leading up to the event. In 55 and 53 minutes, respectively. They were both evening runs with SwimSis, and SwimTot in the stroller. I had no expectations of getting below 50 minutes.
There would be only 1 water stop on the course. I didn't feel like carrying a water bottle would be very beneficial, so that morning, I chugged a full thing of gatorade out of my water bottle and had 2 pieces of toast and pb. My right quad was giving me some trouble, but I foam rolled it a bit, just in case. We got to the park and had about 20 minutes before the start of the race. But there was 1 problem - I had to pee! I had not used a port-a-potty in YEARS. I try to avoid them at all costs. Fairs, festivals and even that one week at camp when I was in a remote-ish location. H to the No on port-a-potties! Well, I went and took SwimTot with me. Super disgusting, but I would have peed myself on the course!
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| Feeling accomplished! (Please note the race shirt I wore - and had gotten at Goodwill!) |
We handed off SwimTot to my aunt and lined up near the back. Once we crossed the timing mat, SwimSis was freaking out a little! I dodged and weaved a bit, but the crowd (1000 people) spread out pretty quickly. I was planning on running the first 4 minutes, since that was my longest stint of running previously. My legs got annoyed rather quickly and when I looked at my watch it said 2:50..not a good feeling! But I made it to 4 mins and walked. My plan next was to run 2 mins, walk 2 mins until to I got to the part where I knew I wanted to run certain streets.
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| My aunt needs her own gun show! |
We turned much faster than I expected onto the longest strip of the course that there was (it was in a very large subdivision). I had ran the entire length of this street in my last "training" run, so I thought I would do it again! I didn't keep time, but it could have been more than 4 minutes. I really felt like that was my mini goal for the race and it felt so good to run that street! Soon after that, I was walking and decided to take a Shot Block. I'm not one for brand name kinda running things, but I am one for a deal! I had $1 off coupon and so a pack was only $1! If it didn't help me run better, at least it helped take my mind off the race for a minute!
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| In the home stretch! |
2. I did not high five that random guy to the left with his hand out. I assumed he was holding his hand out for someone he knew behind me. I see now that that is not the case (sorry guy!)
3. Really Adidas dude? Walking into the finish? Puh-lease! :)
There were quite a few people that I was around that we were kind of leap frogging. Just opposite schedules of running and walking. We hit the water station and I was so glad! I walked and had some water and mentally prepared myself for the next part of the course. Instead of going straight down this street, we took a left and essentially made a "C"from bottom to top. I knew I wanted to run the street going in and the street coming out and walk the one that connected the two. The first street is slightly downhill and the street coming out is as uphill as the flat course gets! No one was running it, but mentally I just had to! Plus there were sprinklers! It felt great to run a portion of the course where no one else was running! (Let me just note that there were several children under around 10 with their parents as well as moms with their strollers in the pack that I was in!).
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| The runners w/SwimTot! |
I was getting excited because I knew how much of the course was left and that my watch told me I would be much faster than our training times. The homestretch is also slightly uphill and fairly long. It was the part of the course where the 5K met up with the 2 mile fun run, so there were more walkers/families at this point. I knew I could run the whole thing in and I did. Another great feeling of passing a lot of people! Of course SwimSis, SwimTot, my aunt, and the Coach were there to cheer me on! I got through the finish, had my timing chip snipped off (God bless those volunteers sitting on the ground! If I had to bend over at that point, I think I might have fallen over!), grabbed a bottle of water and 2 orange segments and I was ready to go! We took some pictures and got out of there!
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| We did it! It was my mother's day present to her ($10 yay!) |
The rest of the day consisted of me jumping in the shower and heading to babysit for a 3 year old. The parents said they would be 2.5 hours and were actually 4. :( And no they couldn't inform me because they didn't have my # because they had gotten new phones since I last watched their kid in December. Sooooo long. It cut into my nap time and I was not happy! But they gave me $50 for 4 hours, so whatevs. Then I headed to my FroYo place! I was going to get something rich tasting, but then I tried the watermelon flavor and I was hooked! I mixed watermelon and peach and it was the BEST FROYO EVER!!! Seriously, when I get my punch card filled out to get my free one, they are not going to know that froyo could ever be piled that high in a cup! I got a 1/2 hour nap in and was off to babysit my other little one. I don't watch this one often either (3rd time in a year). When he realized his parents had left, he cried for 45 minutes! Could NOT be consoled for anything. So I sat in this amazing room and starred at the ceiling.
It was bliss minus the crying child. Then, suddenly, he just snapped out of it and was fine. We had a great rest of the evening after that! His parents came home from dinner right after I put him down for bed. It was alright that they were early because I needed some R&R!
Today, I was rested and super productive (image that! a day to myself being rested and productive - they do exist!). I did 2 loads of laundry, unclogged the bathtub drain (it was just starting to drain a little slow), made pea soup, made a frickin' cake!, cleaned the kitchen, did the dishes, cleaned out my purse, had a decent talk with a former roomate from that other Midwest city I used to live in, had lunch with my aunt and cousin, went to CVS and scored some major deals!, went to the grocery store, got to hang out with SwimTot, had Coach check my transmission fluid (bone dry! no wonder it has been messing up!), and of course, watch several episodes of Grey's Anatomy.
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| Jello Poke Cake! |
And let me note that as I write this, my uncle completed his 6th Ironman!!! I've got some major catching up to do!
Congrats on your first 5k
ReplyDeleteI think those peculiar emotions are called confidence. Get used to it. : ))
ReplyDeleteGReat job!!!
ReplyDelete