Saturday, September 10, 2011

Chapter 2 page 431 - TR 162 Race recap & photos

This morning was a little chaotic, but it all worked out well.  I had a 5K to run, but in addition, I had to coordinate a health fair (lucky for me, they were both in the same small town about 15 minutes from my house).
Here's how I planned out my morning in order to make everything work:
6:30 leave my house - boo to very dense fog . . . mostly burned off once the sun came up
6:45 put out yard signs promoting the health fair
7:30 5K pick up packet
7:45 return to health fair and orientate the staff and get event started
8:10 return to 5K to warm up
8:30 race start
9:15 (hopefully sooner) finish the race and stretch
9:30 return to the health fair to wrap up event
10:00 remove signs and pack up health fair 

Although my health fair event was a tankapaloosa, the 5K was one of the BEST 5Ks I've ever run!!!!  I should have known it would be fantastic with 2 avid runners in charge - but even with that, this race blew away all of my preconceived expectations.

Here are just some examples of the great things about the race:
-Firetruck horn blast for the start (that's pretty dramatic and certainly different)
-AWESOME route (~1.25 miles on a paved walking trail, ~1.75 miles out and back on a paved country road)
-2 water stations that were accessible from both the out and back so that was a total of 4 opportunities for water (I've done 5K's without any water or just 1 station - how awesome was it to have 4 stations  . . . especially since it was 100% humidity)
-THE MOST ORGANIZED RACE CHECK IN (they had pre-registered packets put together in gallon size zippie bags with our names written on it) - hand over the baggie and we're on our way.  Easy Peasy!
-Course was super well marked and fully staffed with volunteers to ensure we didn't get lost.

Here's what I hoped to accomplish during the race: 
-dress in red/white/blue in support our country during this 9/11 anniversary weekend CHECK
Would you expect anything less than red nails to match my red shirt?
-use 2:2 interval . . . no need to overly tax my legs at this stage of the game CHECK
-easy does it mile 1 (thankfully this was the plan because my legs were NOT happy about being asked to perform) CHECK
-mile 2 pick up the pace a little and begin listening to my jamz CHECK
-mile 3 turn off my jamz and use my metronome for the running intervals for speed work (wow - that left me huffing and puffing . . . near maximal effort). CHECK

I was able to execute the plan perfectly!  I felt great about my performance - especially after the first mile when my legs decided to join me for the run :) I finished in an unofficial time of 38:49 which happens to be 12:29 m/m which happens to be the exact pace I need to have in order to get a 2:56 in my half which is only 2 weeks away (please know that my half mary goal is 2:59, but the McMillian calculator says I can get a 2:56 so that's my new dream goal).  Really glad that I decided to do this race!!!!

9 comments:

  1. I thought of you this morning....sooo glad that you had a good time! And what a beautiful day it turned out to be!! So proud of you for getting out there....I slept in this morning and thought of how you already had 3 miles in for the day...yeah..I'm a slacker. Proud of you girl! Well done :D

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  2. I can not believe you did this after your 10 miler last evening. Your legs are right to give you some complaining. I am ammazed at you time. no way could I do that. "L"

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  3. Great Job! Honestly, great time! Especially since you ran 10 miles 12 hours before. I don't think my legs would move that fast after a long run! I am actually afraid I won't be able to move tomorrow after just 3 miles today!

    Hooray for well organized races, I LOVE that they had 4 opportunities for water - never seen that for a 5k! Awesome!

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  4. Way to go girl! Like "L" I can't beleive you ran just after running last evening. You will definitely rock the F4F and maybe get a 2:45! How awesome would that be!!! Love the red, white and blue in support of our troops. I'm praying that tomorrow is a day without any dramatic events. Now take a well deserved rest.

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  5. Well done on both organising the race and the event ... nothing like being busy to get the adrenalin going !! Loving the red, white and blue.

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  6. Busy little bee you were! Wow! (love those nails lady bug!!)

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  7. Awesome job at your race! You executed your plan perfectly!

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  8. Great job! I don't know how you do it running back and forth--I would be going crazy with both events going on. So glad it was a great course and race!
    :)

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  9. Yay you! You're 3.1 miles closer to your goal.

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