My First 5K

I posted this on my LiveJournal this past week, but I decided to post it here, as I want to try to use Vox to track my running (as well as other friends/family only posts, no worries to those of you not into the running posts).

I ran a 5K this weekend! I have to admit, I was really nervous. This was my first race, and I knew I was slow. I didn't want to be last. My goal was to run it in under 40 minutes, which I realize is slow, but I'll improve. My secondary, secret goal, was to try to run about a 12 minute mile.

Saturday morning, it was raining. I still went out to the race though. My dad was also running it, so we stood there in the rain, chatting with some people we knew. One of our family friends tried to talk me into running the Disney Marathon with her in January. I have to admit, it's something I'd love to do someday. Maybe 2008.

I think the rain kept a lot of people away, because there wasn't the crowd there usually is. And sadly, I think the rain kept away the slow runners like me. My heart was racing when the race began. Right before the race started, my dad turned around and said "Do not pass me." He was joking, I think, but it would have really hurt his pride had his short daughter beat him.

I felt pretty bad during the first mile, to be honest. Part of me wanted to quit, why was I doing this, I hate running. And then I passed the first milemarker and they yelled out my time. Just over 10 minutes. Well no wonder I felt like crap. On a speedy day, I train at an 11 minute mile. So I decided to slow down a bit. Well, that plan didn't work, as I passed mile 2 at 20:30. Clearly running too fast. No wonder I felt so horrible. But I was starting to enjoy myself. The front of the pack had really pulled off, and so we stragglers were left at the end. I was with a group of people, so that made me feel better. I kept passing race volunteers I knew who said "Your dad's way up there!" "I know! I'm not allowed to pass him!"

I really slowed down at the end because my heart was just pounding. At the very end of the race, not much before you make the turn onto the final 2 block stretch, there's a downhill patch. Usually, that would be great. But in the rain, it was slippery and a little scary. I sort of slowly jogged down it - I can't imagine the people who ran down it full speed. Just before the last turn, my shoe came untied, but I wasn't about to stop to untie it! So I sprinted the last two blocks, thought I would die, and finished.

35:01.

I know, I know, you guys are laughing at my slow speed. But I'm really happy with that time! It's WAY faster than I thought I would run it. When I first started my training for this race, I was afraid I would finish around 45 minutes. And my goal was under 40. So this was definitely beating my goal. And now I have a time to beat. I do need to get in better shape though, so that I can run it in 35 minutes and not feel so horrible.

My dad finished under 32 minutes, I believe. He was happy with that. But he said one of the last uphill climbs killed him and he had to walk. I train in a hilly area, so I didn't even notice that there was a hill.

I wasn't even too sore Sunday. I was exhausted on Saturday night though. Monday morning, I hit the pavement again. My next race is in 7 weeks. :)