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| Run for Healthier Babies 5K, really like this course |
I spent some time the night before this race checking online results to compare race times between this race and the Run for Autism (my new PR from the weekend before) for prior years, to see if there were any trends that would tell me if I could expect to do better, the same, or worse than last weekend. I wasn't sure at this point if my run last weekend was a fluke or not. I was not necessarily going for a new PR this weekend but just hoped that maybe I could still break 20. I found that for some folks their times were better in the Autism run and for some they were better in the Healthier Babies. Still I knew there were some hills in the Healthier Babies so I figured I may not do as well. I was pre-registered and knew that while it was a challenge last time to find the race start, once I did parking was plentiful, so I headed to the race a bit later than I did the weekend before.
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| Pre-race food and supplies laid out the night before...a little wine can't hurt right? |
I followed my same plan of oatmeal and coffee, plus a banana this time, and brought the cheerios and milk again for pre-race, just in case I had time and was hungry. I ended up seeing a few friends there before the race and chatting, as well as my several port a potty trips (this race is also a good one for port a potty access, never any issues). I warmed up a little bit but before I knew it, the race was about to start. I got on the starting line (one row back). I knew, if not by name at least by face, most of the women up in the front. I also knew I needed to do what I did last week and keep in front of specific folks in order to meet my goal. This time I guess I felt a bit more confident, so when the countdown from 10 to 1 was up to signal the race start, I took off pretty fast to get a good head start. I knew I didn't want to relapse into my old pattern of blazing fast at mile 1 and then crashing in 2 and 3. But I did feel pretty good and the course was as nice as I remembered. Not sure why, but I do like this course. Guess it's because there is some variety of twists and turns and up and down hills. I think it was around 1.5 miles where I passed a few folks that usually run around my pace or a bit faster. I forgot to mention in the last blog update, but I also decided this fall that there was no way I was going to get water at the water stop(s) in a 5K ever again, unless it was blistering hot, because it takes too much time and isn't really needed.
Mile 1 was faster than the average pace I needed but not so fast that I didn't have anything left. I was glad to have a bit of time "in the bank". Mile 2 wasn't bad at all and by the start of mile 3 I was surprised to pass a fellow runner who I have never passed in a 5K before. I was not feeling 100% by this time, but not doing too bad either. Again I followed the plan that worked the weekend before, of looking at my 'current pace' and not looking at the total distance or total time. As I entered the parking lot, I knew, or rather hoped, that meant the end of the race was within 0.5 miles. I was feeling tired and definitely slowed down by that time. Just before this, a guy who was jogging the other way who I assume was affiliated with the race in some way, said to me either "you are third" or "you are catching up to third". I wasn't sure. But either way it didn't much matter because if I was third, I was third. And if I wasn't, I couldn't see the woman who was third and couldn't speed up enough to catch someone I couldn't even see. So it was what it was at that point and anyway I was really going for time and just trying to finish. Once I made the last right turn before making the final left turn into the finish line chute, I really sprinted because I couldn't see the clock from there and had no idea what it would say when I rounded the bend and by that time it may be too late. I knew I had a good chance at another sub 20, given the 'current pace' that I had seen each time I looked down, but knew it would be really close. Turns out it was just over the 19:55 I had last week, but still under 20, so I'll take that! My official chip time was 19:57. I couldn't help but feel happy but also wished I had tried to push it sooner. I know, never satisified right!
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| Age group award, first place (yep that's me in the pink socks) |
I spent some time again chatting with some running friends and then noticed I was feeling cold so I decided to change my shirt but this time to not be lazy so I headed out for a cool down run. But during it I started to feel quite nauseous, so only went 1 mile before giving up. My friend Louise (who is 70 and ran the race and the one last weekend both in under 28 minutes!!!) was so nice, she hunted down a bagel for me to eat which helped the nausea go away. I waited for the results to be posted and again I was 4th overall. Gee, always the bridesmaid, never the bride! Still, I am usually not even in the wedding party, so hey I'll take 4th. By this time, I met up with Sarah, Mia and Myia, who were running the 1 mile fun run. They waited with me while I got my award. I was first in age group, since there were no masters awards this time unfortunately. Interestingly, there was some question as to where the 3rd place finisher came from, since the name was not familiar to me (she was a 17 year old according to the posted results), since there were no young women on the front of the starting line that I saw, and also since someone else mentioned to me that they didn't see anyone cross between the second place finisher and me. But I decided to assume that in a small race such as this there are no Rosie Ruiz-types, so pretty much dismissed the idea. Still, it did occur to me later while driving home that the prizes for this race were cash, which they usually aren't in most races. I wondered how much I missed out on in being 4th instead of 3rd (turns out it was 50 bucks!). Oh well, at least I got a medal to add to my collection!
I hung around to watch the 1 mile fun run and for the awards for that. Sarah and the girls cleaned up, each winning a medal! And in the 5K, it was a PR for Linda from RTR as well as age group placing for several other running friends. It was really a great race and a fun time, and another sub 20 for me didn't hurt either!
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