So, I've been sick since last Sunday. Like, missed a few days of work to spend the day unconscious sick. Thursday I ran for the first time since my 20 and what should have been 4 miles at 7:30 pace, ended up being 4 miles struggling to stay under 10. Not looking good and honestly, not feeling well either.
So of course, the best idea is to race on Saturday, right? Right.
And if you feel completely drained and unable to breathe, you're really setting yourself up for success by creating a new alarm on your new phone, titled, Race Day, only to set it for p.m., not a.m. Sprawled in the biscuit, I thought, wow, I really feel like this was a long night's sleep. Welp, it was. Because it was 30 minutes later than I intended to get up! Whoops.
So that only meant that my adrenaline was already flowing when I arrived at the lake in the dark for my warm up miles. I like to run about 3 miles before a 5K because the hardest few miles for me are always the first. Might as well get those out of the day before the race begins! I've run this race the past two years so, as usual, I ran the course, plotting my race strategy. Basically, run as hard as I can without throwing up. It's not complicated.
Recognizing many of the competitors, I knew there were some speedys on the course. So I lined up right behind them, planning to hang on to them as long as I could. And I did. Frances, a local superstar, who thankfully is NOT in my AG, and I ran side by side until the 5K turn around. Looking at my watch, I wondered how it was that I could possible keep up with her. She kept going at the 15K...that's why. There is no way I could pace her for a 5K!
I spotted two females ahead of me (one of them only NINE years old - incredible!) and knew that I couldn't catch them but if I held my lead, I could finish a respectable third. Crossing the finish line, I glanced at my watch, saw that it wasn't a PR and slightly disappointed, I jogged back to the course to cheer on the other 5Kers. After a few minutes of cheering, | glanced again at my watch and was horrified at the time! How in the Sam Hill did I run so slowly? I really thought I was pushing myself - even sick. Then I noticed the distance, 3.45. I've run this course before and it is NOT long and I know it well, I run the tangents wisely. There is no way I ran that long, I didn't weave even once. Turns out, I forgot to stop my Garmin, and the auto resume picked up when I jogged over to the course. Ha! I hadn't done so badly after all - just 15 seconds away from my 5K PR. Sure, I could have pushed 15 seconds harder but at least I wasn't minutes off my goal!
Enjoying a gorgeous sunrise post race. Happy Autumn!
Got to my car to leave, only to realize my car key had dropped out of my Spibelt at some point. Stupid blogger continuously taking out her phone to snap pics! Do you see it? Thankfully, I found it by my waiting spot. Whew.
While waiting on the awards, I spotted sweet MK and Music Mary out for a ride. It was a gorgeous morning for cycling!
My cat is, once again, unimpressed by my take home.
Fifteen seconds off my PR, not too bad considering how crappy I felt. Third female, first in my AG. All in all, not a horrible day for racing. I've got Chicago in two weeks, I hope to perform better there as far as meeting my time goals. I don't see my placing in ANY age group at Chicago, ha!
I'm still figuring out how to race a 5K. I really think I can hit my Magic Number if I focus on just 5Ks. And maybe next fall that's what I'll do. Someday, someday my 5K time will end in "een." For now, for now I've got some distance racing to knock out.
How do you feel about racing 5Ks? Have you got it figured out? Or like me, do you prefer distance racing?
I like longer distances, in my half on Saturday, I realized that my body hurt until after mile 3....Then I felt good
ReplyDeleteI have never run warm-up miles before a race but it makes complete sense with a 5k...getting those horrid first few miles over with before the race starts! You did great and yes you will see a "een" some day!!
ReplyDeleteI think you did great, especially for not feeling well! 5Ks are fun but I prefer longer distances where no one expects me to go fast. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty darn awesome TPG if you were sick! Just imagine how much you could take off your PR if you were feeling 100%! I haven't raced a 5k before....I might run one in December, but I doubt I'll race that. Too much snow and cold at that time!
ReplyDeleteTPG you rocked that race considering the week that you had! And it brightened my day when I heard someone screaming my name as I rode by the race finish line. See YOU in Chicago!!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you're feeling better and way to go on that close-to-PR 5k!!!!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on a good race, even if it wasn't your best! And I'm glad you are feeling better!
ReplyDelete5K IS SO HARD. Too hard. Let's go bike a hundred miles.
ReplyDeleteYes, I'd bike 100 miles over a 5K any day!
Delete15 seconds off PR, that's great! Especially when you weren't feeling so hot!
ReplyDeleteI predict you'll hit that "een" before that 9-year-old speedster is officially a tween. Nice job, TPG! Your cat should be impressed. How many 5Ks has he run?
ReplyDeleteI enjoy running, and not particularly fast; so I'll take extra miles any day of the week.
Hope you're feeling better! I raced sick the other weekend, and it just wasn't too much fun.
ReplyDeleteJust hopped over to your blog from Running Backwards in High Heels.
ReplyDeleteI love your blog name- I'm a signature pink lady myself- especially at races. I'm convinced I PR only when wearing pink. :)
Way to go on a great race even while you were under the weather! I once got beaten by a 11 year old. Beaten by 11 minutes. OUCH.
Love your blog- I will be back!
Well run, TPG. I also like distance-racing, but for those of us with the need for speed from time to time, the local 5k is terrific. It's our rare chance to size up the field, seat ourselves according to our wildest dreams, and try to hang on. Because, as I tell myself over and over, "you can do pretty much anything for 20 minutes."
ReplyDeleteWell run, TPG. I also like distance-racing, but for those of us with the need for speed from time to time, the local 5k is terrific. It's our rare chance to size up the field, seat ourselves according to our wildest dreams, and try to hang on. Because, as I tell myself over and over, "you can do pretty much anything for 20 minutes."
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your race! I feel like 5ks are a lot harder than they should be to figure out how to race. It's so short, shouldn't it be easy? :)
ReplyDeleteoh perry... that is perry, right?! congrats on placing and bringing home some fun hardware! :) you're gonna rock Chicago!!
ReplyDelete