The Race and the Pace: Tri Fest 5K (PR edition)

It's 5K season!  As much as I love longer races and training for them, it's nice to have a break from the long runs and to just focus on getting a little un-turtlelike faster. This was my first 5K since the Jingle-Bell run in December, so I had no clue what to expect.  Last week I ran an 8K at a 9 minute pace, and I knew I would need around an 8:45 to PR this 5K, so I knew it was possible.

Pretty excited about the shirt:)

Chilling in the car and playing Angry Birds.  It was cold out there!

I am usually running right on time for races (also known as slightly late, but still making it to the starting line).  For some reason, I managed to get to this one an hour and 20 minutes early.  It was cold so I chilled (literally) in the car until it was Porta-Pottie time. I was worried how my legs were going to feel since it was cold and I had been sitting in the car for 45 minutes.  I found some E-ville racers I knew and we took a lap around the park to get warmed up.  Everything felt great, and we stayed loose with some Cupid Shuffle and Wobbling before the race finally started.

Ready to Run!

I don't have a Garmin, I just run with a stopwatch and hope that the course is marked.  Unfortunately this one wasn't, and you would think after running long enough I could guess what pace I was running by how I felt, but I just can't.  I did luck out at mile 1 and pass by someone who's Garmin chirped the first mile, so I know I did the first mile at an 8:40, but after that I had no idea until I got close to the end.

My main goal was to run well, with a sub goal of PR-ing (former PR was a 27:14 last November). My secret goal* was to break 27.  When I saw the finish line around the corner I was at 26:13 so I booked it and made it under 27 (26:47)!!!  I then tried not to puke on the chip cutting lady, but you'll have that...

The official time was a 26:47, disregard the fact that my watch  is somehow 5 hours slow.

Since my ultimate 5K goal is a 25, I've still got a ways to go, this race really boosted my confidence and I feel like I can probably do it.  My goal now is try actually working in some speedwork and see where that gets me.

Speaking of speedwork, I found this on RunnersWorld.com and it made me laugh.

*Secret goal: the goal you kind of want to do in your head, but don't tell anyone because you don't think you will hit it but it will make you look kind of BA (in your mind anyway) if you do.

A Good Run on a Bad Day

As I stated previously, I'm pretty out of shape from where I want to be.  As sucky as it is to admit, I've been struggling to get through 4 (albeit hilly) miles after work.  I've been having to do walk-run intervals, which I'm no stranger to, and my plan has been to just slowly expand the run part until I'm going the whole time.

My legs have been doing ok, the problem I have is not being able to breathe when I run.  I struggle with this anyway, and  lately it's been really bad.  I feel like a can't take a full breath until I'm walking, and sometimes not even then.

Today was not a great day at work, I've got some stuff I'm stressed and frustrated about, I had a headache (day 2 of no Diet Coke) and I just felt like crap (whine, whine, whine...I know!).  So I had debated not running at all, but it was so freaking nice outside I hated to waste it!  I talked myself into 3 easy slow miles, just to get moving and burn off the stress food I ate today (delicious, but unnecessary).

It helps when there are trees like these lining the way! 

They smell good too:)

Once I got going I felt pretty decent, so I decided to to see how far I could go without walking.  I made it all the way to Hill of Pain 1 (not to be confused with Hill of Death, I got to go down that one today) and walked for maybe 15 seconds after.  And that was it.  I ran the whole way. It wasn't anywhere near fast, but I found a good pace, a good stride and after about 2 miles I could actually breathe!  I'm so excited right now I could do a dance, but I won't because the cat is watching.  I needed a good run like this so badly and it couldn't have come at a better time.

The weather is beautiful (79 degrees), the trees are blooming, and I felt so happy the whole time!  This is why I run, because 40 minutes of sweat can wipe out a whole day (week) of crappiness.