Today was my first 5K and it was a huge rush. It was held at a gorgeous state park about 40 min from our house. I woke up this morning with a sour stomach and pre-race jitters, but was luckially able to kick it with Pepto and a nice half hour walk around the neighborhood with Max in the jogging stroller. :)
I registered about an hour before the race and then warmed up & stretched on a little dock on the water. It was so peaceful. I'm not sure of how many runners there were, but it was a lot. As we were waiting to start people around me were commenting on how there were so many more than in the past. A totally buff wheelchair cyclist started 5 min ahead of us and then we were off.
I specifically stayed at the back of the pack, knowing that I'd probably finish there and so as not to get too caught up in the adrenaline and start off too fast. There were three other women who seemed to be in the same boat, which was (honestly) a relief. I was literally last at this point though. I felt a little blah about it, but kept telling myself "Slow and steady wins the race".
At 1.75 mi or so there was a turnaround. As people started running past us (on their way back already) I noticed that some were walking and panting like dogs. It worried me because I didn't know what was ahead, yet energized me to keep my pace so I could run the whole thing. I decided to try to pass the woman in front of me at the turnaround and ended up passing four people before the race was over.
Shortly after the 2 mi mark, a little boy's mom & grandma were waiting for him. (He was running in front of me.) The mom asked him how he was doing and he collapsed in her arms and started bawling. I about lost it! The little chugger was so so tired. I kept going and a few minutes later heard him behind me again. =)
Michael & Max were waiting for me at about the 2.25-35 mi mark and seeing them was JUST what I needed! Michael had his camera and new lens ready and Max was waving and grinning from ear to ear. As I told Michael, seeing them during a race is one of my favorite sights! Their support means so much to me.
The rest of the race was tough, as my adrenaline after seeing them started to wear down. The final part of the course included a huge hill. I thought for sure I'd have to walk, but pushed myself to kind of leap up it- just enough movement that it wasn't considered walking. ;) The final stretch was all downhill, which was actually such a tease because it was down and my legs just wanted to stop and give out.
I sprinted the last leg though and just prayed that I wouldn't fall on my face in front of everyone. People were cheering and it was a feeling like no other! I finished in 41:06 (I'm pretty sure that's what the clock said), which was just a minute/6 sec over my goal of 40 min or under. All things considered, I'm thrilled! I honestly didn't feel 100% ready to go for a 5K yet, but decided to just go for it. Life's too short to sit on the bench.
I'm glad I did. The July 4th 4K will be a breeze now!
UPDATE: Just got my race results- I placed 230th out of 234 male/female runners and I'm thrilled! Who'da freakin' thunk I'd ever be able to run 3.1 mi non-stop and without getting stitches/cramps in my side?!
