17 seconds...... Railroad Days 5K Report

Thank everyone for their thoughtful comments on my last post.  It really helped to calm my nerves. I woke up Saturday morning and was just going to run.  If I got a PR great, if not oh well.  I was just wanting to finish and have a good time like everyone suggested! 

I ate a gu on the way to the race for breakfast.  I took my golite water bottle with me to carry on the race.  Even though it's only 3 miles, the 1-2 water stops that they have are never enough. My mouth gets so dry!! 

I lined up with a woman that usually runs between a 33-35 min 5k.  I knew I would need to stay near her if I wanted a pr.  We started off together and stayed together for the first .75 of a mile, then she started pulling away.  Not by a lot, I could always see her but she gradually kept getting farther and farther in front of me.  I did stop and walk twice, once on the long hill right before i got to the top. I wanted to walk for a minute so i could make a push on the downhill.  Then I walked again at the2.7 mile mark, it goes behind a school then comes out and you finish on a loop of the track.  I knew it was going to be close and was really dragging so i walked the short side of the school 1) so no one could see me walk and 2) so i could make that final surge.  On the downhill though, 5 people that I knew passed me.

As I came around the long side of the school to go onto the track, there was Twila asking if I was going to get it.  I told her it would be close.  I was close to getting a pr but it would be close. then as i got on the track jeremy was there to run the lap with me.  I asked how he and Twila had finished. both had gotten PR's!!  Jeremy had gone a 23:01.  His goal was 22:59.... so close!!  Twila had gone 22:57, both had 30 second PR's.

I made the final push and kept looking at my watch and at the finish line.  I crossed the finish line and the official clock said 35:30!!!!  A 17 second PR!!!!  Woohoo!!!! So excited! My watch said 35:25, bc I started my watch when i crossed the start line, not when the gun went off to start the race.  My first mile was 10:54, my fastest ever during a 5k, mile 2 was 12 something (uphill and i walked a little), mile 3 was 11 something. i was happy about this bc i was able to go faster than mile 2 and i've never been able to do this in a race. i guess my negative splits on the treadmill did help! :)  The last .1 of the 5k my time was 9:19!!  i was really trying to get to the finish line for that PR.

Jeremy got second in his age group

Thanks again for your support and encouraging words.  Now that that's over with, I am going to go back to running 4 days a week and doing shred with weights a couple times a week. I had slacked off the past couple weeks and it has showed on the scales.

Oh and before i forget - Today is my handsome hubby's 34th birthday!!!  Happy Birthday JEREMY!!