A 5 K to see where I am at or something like that

Why do I always want to start out my blogs with the word So?  So, LOL, i wanted to do a race to see where I was in my training.  I have noticed that my times have been getting progressively faster so wanted to see how that transitioned to a race.  I run on hills and flat but more flat than hills and I havent started back to hill work yet.  My hope was that I could find a 5 K that was more like where I trained and run my heart out.Well that sort of happened but sort of not.  I chose the winter runderland race in manhattan.  It had two options, an option where you ate doughnuts and ran (i think 4, 2 at mile 1 and 2 at mile 2) or just flat out ran.  I chose the non-eating option because frankly i think i would blow chunks if I ate doughnuts and ran the hills I ran.  The race was small, 98 runners in the regular run and 65 in the doughnut challenge.  That is probably a good thing because the beginning of the race used a trail that became very narrow in places.  Luckily this is a trail that we use for the group runs so I knew where the narrow spots were.  I also decided that even though I could run with my dog, that because I wanted to PR and because i wanted to let the other runners have plenty of space, i would leave her home which made her very unhappy.  She sulked for hours after I got home.  She thinks that if I have running clothes on that she needs to go.  I felt guilty for leaving her but wanted to be respectful of people's space.  This is my support crew giving me a kiss before I headed for the start line.  They had an awesome playground at the park where the race was and he thoroughly enjoyed it.

Once again, I wasn't nervous.  I felt very prepared, even though I had run 7 miles at a very fast pace for a long run  thanks to my BRF a day before and then had stupidly had two beers the night before.  It was an afternoon race anyway and I felt good by then.  I made sure to drink lots of liquids prior to the race.  The race started out very fast.  I was about mid pack and boy those people were serious about those doughnuts!  I have never started that fast. I kept seeing 7s on my watch and started really freaking out.  When I start out, for about a quarter of a mile, my body fights me and I struggle to get my breathing under control.  Well, add being really out of breath because i am running crazy and fighting my body and you pretty much get panic mode.  I finally just let all the crazies pass me and picked out a person to hang with.  I quickly decided she was too slow so picked another person.  Never could catch up with her but I kept close to her the whole race.  She finished maybe 7 seconds a head of me.  I just couldn't catch her no matter how hard I tried.  She was a beast!  So mile one ended at 9 minutes.  I was super happy but turning up a huge hill. My BRF did this race last year and had warned me of the hills but wow, those hills from  mile 1-2 were tough. My watch hit 10 even and I glad to keep that pace.  I am super out of shape with hills because i haven't done hills since before my half.  I so need to get back to hill work.  These hills kept going up and up and up.  No down hill till about the end of mile 2.  I knew we headed back to trail for the end of mile 2 and 3 so I was just hoping i could keep it together till then.  Mile 2 to 3 was nice.  I was trying to hold back till the end to let it go.  I was seeing 8s come up on my watch.  I didn't want to kick it in too soon though and loose.  There was a lady I had been battling and she was trying to pass me.  I finally just said screw it and let go.  Thank goodness because she was in my age group:)  I ended up finishing 0.69 seconds ahead of her.  I think i wore her out LOL.  I think she probably thinks I am crazy but I didn't want to be passed at the end.  I may or may not have almost puked at the finish line.  Snot was the enemy, just like the last time I ran a faster 5K.  It wasn't even cold so I guess speed makes me snotty?  8:34 for my final mile!  

I had signed up for the FB alert that I had finished.  My BRF had already seen that I had finished and imediately commented.  I clicked on the link and low and behold, I had won 3rd place for my age division!!!!!! I was SO excited.  Now I thought i had a PR but my 5 K this summer was quicker by 0.06 seconds.  If only i hadn't slowed down on those dang hills!  I tried and for the record I never walked and I walked in the 5 K that I had a faster time.  So there is that!

I hope I get to do this more often!  It was an awesome feeling!

I will cherish this medal:)

Glad one of my FB friends was helping with the race so I could get some cool pics!

I was 16th female out of 67 and 3rd out of 16 in my age group.  While I think the hills killed me, I am so excited where I am at and I think I can do better.  What this weekend taught me more than anything is that I can push it beyond my comfort zone and I can survive.  I won't fall over and I do have kick (sorry lady in purple, I really liked your shirt).  If i can get at least 2 miles in the 9s and one faster mile, man, I think i could be in the high 26s.  I have so much more work to do but i feel like I am on the right track.  I am so very excited for the future!