Last night I did something I haven’t done in almost two yearsI ran a 5K race. My first one was my university’s homecoming 5K and I completed it only two months after I picked up running.
Central Baptist hospital in Lexington, Kentucky sponsors A Midsummer Night’s Run 5K every summer. This year marked the 25th anniversary of the race and it showed: more than 3,000 people showed up to run in thunder, lightening, and rain.
It started to rain about an hour before Jeremy’s dad and I laced up our sneakers. I “challenged” my father-in-law to run this race with me while J and I were home for vacation and eventually he told me to sign him up. I signed us both up that night!
I was a little nervous the race might be canceled when it started pouring so hard some roads were flooding only an hour and a half before we were set to start running.
Nevertheless, I broke the golden rule of racing (Never do anything different on race day than you did when training.) and ate a Clif Chocolate Chip bar about two hours before the race was supposed to start and got dressed.
Jeremy’s dad had been smack-talking me all evening about how he was going to beat me. Thunder was starting to boom and lightening was cracking across the sky as people arrived for the 5K. Eventually they canceled the kid’s Fun Run (I think). And I hadn’t ate anything too substantial since 2:00, with the race beginning at 8:30. Things weren’t looking too good for me and my stomach was a mess.
I ate a few Shotbloxsomething else I have never tried.
I had only set two goals for myself:
1. No walkingit’s only 5K and I am more than capable of completing the distance.
2. Finish under 30:00. I completed my first 5K at 32:03 and I wanted to PR.
These were not exactly PR conditions, but I wasn’t giving up.
Jeff (J’s dad) and I found a place almost at the end of the runner’s start, which was a mistake. There were so many people ahead of us we weren’t able to cross the start line for almost two minutes after the gun went off. I waited until I stepped across the start line to start my Garmin and keep time, though.
The first mile was good, but required A LOT of weaving in and out of people who were moving slower and I wanted to pass. I may have started out too quicklya day later I am still unsure about that. My stomach started to feel really empty and heavy at the same time, if anyone can understand that feeling. I quickly regretted trying new products before we started running.
By the second mile, I was feeling tired. J and I spent a lot of the day out in town (shopping, meeting Skinny Emmie , and lunching) and it was very quickly turning dark and difficult to see the road. My pace dropped off quite a bit. Towards the end of the second mile was a hill that felt impossible to scale. I remembered Jess ’ advice and tried to lean into it., but believe it or not, there was a turn around point and going back down the hill felt even worse. I was just spent and wanted to be finished.
My goal for the rest of the race was to just keep moving and not walk. I knew if I could keep my pace I would still finish at my goal time. There was an older woman really close to me and I thought, “I’m not going to let that old lady show me up.” But before I knew it she was GONE. I just couldn’t keep a steady pace and throughout the entire course there were constantly dozens of people surrounding you. Anytime I wanted to pick it up, I had to weave around other runners, which made me nervous.
The end of the third mile came and I knew I was going to finish. I was determined to finish strong and I sprinted towards the finish line with a clock time of 31:20 and a chip time of 29:04. I reached both of the goals I set for myself. But, more importantly, I had a really good time and knocked almost three minutes off my first 5K time.
Even though the race was more of a challenge than I expected, it was nice to run it with Jeremy’s dad, and having my husband and his family there supporting me meant so much.
A Midsummer Night’s Run was very well organized with a well-marked course. The weather was a little unfortunate, but the rain did do a great job of cooling down the day. I’m not sure I would have survived in 90 degree heat!
Last night I did something I haven’t done in almost two yearsI ran a 5K race. My first one was my university’s homecoming 5K and I completed it only two months after I picked up running.
Central Baptist hospital in Lexington, Kentucky sponsors A Midsummer Night’s Run 5K every summer. This year marked the 25th anniversary of the race and it showed: more than 3,000 people showed up to run in thunder, lightening, and rain.
It started to rain about an hour before Jeremy’s dad and I laced up our sneakers. I “challenged” my father-in-law to run this race with me while J and I were home for vacation and eventually he told me to sign him up. I signed us both up that night!
I was a little nervous the race might be canceled when it started pouring so hard some roads were flooding only an hour and a half before we were set to start running.
Nevertheless, I broke the golden rule of racing (Never do anything different on race day than you did when training.) and ate a Clif Chocolate Chip bar about two hours before the race was supposed to start and got dressed.
Jeremy’s dad had been smack-talking me all evening about how he was going to beat me. Thunder was starting to boom and lightening was cracking across the sky as people arrived for the 5K. Eventually they canceled the kid’s Fun Run (I think). And I hadn’t ate anything too substantial since 2:00, with the race beginning at 8:30. Things weren’t looking too good for me and my stomach was a mess.
I ate a few Shotbloxsomething else I have never tried.
I had only set two goals for myself:
1. No walkingit’s only 5K and I am more than capable of completing the distance.
2. Finish under 30:00. I completed my first 5K at 32:03 and I wanted to PR.
These were not exactly PR conditions, but I wasn’t giving up.
Jeff (J’s dad) and I found a place almost at the end of the runner’s start, which was a mistake. There were so many people ahead of us we weren’t able to cross the start line for almost two minutes after the gun went off. I waited until I stepped across the start line to start my Garmin and keep time, though.
The first mile was good, but required A LOT of weaving in and out of people who were moving slower and I wanted to pass. I may have started out too quicklya day later I am still unsure about that. My stomach started to feel really empty and heavy at the same time, if anyone can understand that feeling. I quickly regretted trying new products before we started running.
By the second mile, I was feeling tired. J and I spent a lot of the day out in town (shopping, meeting Skinny Emmie , and lunching) and it was very quickly turning dark and difficult to see the road. My pace dropped off quite a bit. Towards the end of the second mile was a hill that felt impossible to scale. I remembered Jess ’ advice and tried to lean into it., but believe it or not, there was a turn around point and going back down the hill felt even worse. I was just spent and wanted to be finished.
My goal for the rest of the race was to just keep moving and not walk. I knew if I could keep my pace I would still finish at my goal time. There was an older woman really close to me and I thought, “I’m not going to let that old lady show me up.” But before I knew it she was GONE. I just couldn’t keep a steady pace and throughout the entire course there were constantly dozens of people surrounding you. Anytime I wanted to pick it up, I had to weave around other runners, which made me nervous.
The end of the third mile came and I knew I was going to finish. I was determined to finish strong and I sprinted towards the finish line with a clock time of 31:20 and a chip time of 29:04. I reached both of the goals I set for myself. But, more importantly, I had a really good time and knocked almost three minutes off my first 5K time.
Even though the race was more of a challenge than I expected, it was nice to run it with Jeremy’s dad, and having my husband and his family there supporting me meant so much.
A Midsummer Night’s Run was very well organized with a well-marked course. The weather was a little unfortunate, but the rain did do a great job of cooling down the day. I’m not sure I would have survived in 90 degree heat!