I have no idea if it was the 10 mile "warm-up" yesterday, the apple cider donut I ate this morning, the 46* or the rain that was falling but everything in the Heavens lined up today and I ran a 5k PR. 25:34 (Garmin time). By only a few seconds, I now find out, but I ran it perfect today.
Apparently, I just looked at my Race Calendar and I ran the very same race, Autumn on Parade 5k in 2006 (my second race ever) in 25:36. I totally forgot about that time. I can only assume that it was also the correct mileage. Today's race was 3.05. It's funny though because it was cold that day as well. I remember clutching my iPod Shuffle in my hand and my hand being so cold that it was hard to open at the end of the run. But I do remember that run being hard and difficult. This run, not so much.
After my 7 mile run on Wednesday, I didn't exactly do a good job stretching. I sat on my couch, tried syncing my Garmin with my computer. It didn't work. Took a shower. Then sat back down on my couch, crossed legged and tried doing it again. I got up hours later from the couch and then I felt a twinge in my left calf.
I got up Thursday morning a little sore in that area. I didn't run that night because of the program I was going to. Didn't run Friday. Saturday was my 10 mile and it was tight and sore but I ran it anyway. Brent rolled it out for me last night and he said he could feel a knot. This morning, it was a little stiff and sore to walk.
We drove for the 40 minutes over to Oregon and when I got out of the car, it was stiff again. Walked to the packet pickup and it felt loosened up. Good. Back to the car to stay warm. In DeKalb it was supposed to start raining around 9a and since we went West, we were sure that we were going to get it before that. Come to find out that the race started at 8:30a NOT 8a like I thought. Whoops. That's what I get for not reading the signup email!
Got to the start at 8:15a and spent the next 15 minutes trying to hear what the announcers were saying and eventually stopped caring when their speakers gave out. Instead I just curled up next to Brent's chest to stay warm. I wore lined cotton running shorts, a short sleeved shirt and gloves. I was glad for the gloves. Brent wished that he would have brought his with after all.
It had started raining as we were walking up the start. Brent wished, and I agreed, that the race would have started at 8a after all, then we could have missed out on the rain. It ended up raining the entire race. This is the 3rd year for it and the 3rd time I ran it. So pretty cool. But they changed up the entire route this year. We started at the normal place but went further into town so that was cool running through the tents of the crafters and seeing their smiling faces and waving at us. Then we went the opposite direction of the way we've gone other years. Then the finish was the best part of it, around the high school track!
Brent and I stayed together for a little bit of the first mile but then he dropped back and I said to him, remember to walk if you need to. He hasn't run a mile since August 27th when he hurt his back!! 1st mile was in 8:28. I didn't know I was moving that fast. I was like whoops! Then second mile split was 8:36. OK, so now I'm slowing down but that's still really fast for me. That's when I came across "the girl." I saw her walking as we were going up a hill. After I passed her, she started running again and zoomed past me. Then we passed the 2 mile time guy and she was flailing so I told her just a mile left. She ended up staying behind me. I passed a guy and told him just a half mile left. He was flailing as well. He at least thanked me for letting him know. I was still breathing OK at this time. The third mile split was 8:10.
Then we came across a 45 degree turn along a chainlink fence. This girl comes sprinting up behind me and passes me on the left on the inside corner of the turn and then zooms to the outside to the right cause she was going too fast. RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME! I nearly trip over her feet and my own! Then she stops suddenly when the triangle carnival flags end. As I passed her, I said the race isn't done. I probably shouldn't have for then she started running again, cut in front of me so that she was on the left. But it didn't last long. She was slowing down again. The next turn was pretty tight. It was a 90 degree turn and since it had been raining that day, it was slippery. So what did I do? I didn't slow down, said "Passing on your right" and then I grabbed the chainlink fence for help making the turn. I never saw her again. She didn't have any kick left in her, I guess. Then out on the track for a half lap. It was great. I looked at my watch and it said 24:33 and I said wow, could I do this in under 25 minutes?! But I crossed the line at 25:38 (took me about 4 seconds to cross the line) I'm sure that if it would have been a sunnier day then there would be more people in the grandstands.
After I crossed the line, I stayed on the track looking for Brent to come around the corner and there he was! So as he entered in the track, I ran with him. He was doing great!! I was so proud of him. And then he turned on the afterburners! I totally couldn't even keep up with him with that speed! Wow! I yelled to him, I see fire under your feet! :-) Then I showed him my time. He was pretty impressed. So was I!
We walked by a physical therapy people and I asked for a massage. Said that they don't do massages. So then I told him about my calf muscle and he said that he'll take a look at it. He sprayed some BioFreeze on my calf and started rubbing it out. He wasn't going at it all that hard though. He had me flip over, lifted up my leg and bent my ankle and I could feel the stretch in the calf. He said that it's probably going to be sore for a while. So I think I'm going to take off running until Wednesday now.
Brent won a raffle though. They pulled his number for the #1 spot and he won $100 to Runner's Image in Rockford for 1 pair of Nike shoes. How cool is that?! He says he never wins anything but he did today. Two years ago I won a $20 RoadID gift certificate. Problem is that he won't be back up here before the end of the year when it expires so he gave this certificate to me. I may just turn around and buy him a pair of shoes instead! I'm hoping that I can just use it for something else.
The first year, 2006, I came in 3rd place with a time of 25:36. I was pretty stoked about that. This year, 2008, 25:34 and NO MEDAL! Geez... Every race I've been in has just been getting bigger and bigger so it's harder and harder for me to medal now! We stayed for the awards cause Brent was sure that I had medaled. Actually me too! But I guess not. That was pretty disappointing for sure. Maybe it's because I'm now 28 and the 25 year olds are beating me. Guess I'll just have to wait until I hit 30 and then I'll be able to beat the 34 year olds. :-)
So all in all, it was a great race. I can't wait to see the results online to see the final times and where the 3rd place 25-29 female was at in relation to me. I'm going to be highly disappointed if I came in 4th by 10 seconds or so! I swear, the other races I've been in, that top three is usually in the 24 and 25's for a 5k. Guess today was a totally different story.
Brent & I came back home to take a nap for an hour and then he rolled me out again. Only this time it was both calves that was sore. I'm thinking my right calf was trying to make up for my left calf's weakness. So icing it will be tonight! Brent left an hour and a half ago. So Saturday is my 15 mile run and I'll be doing that alone. Shall be interesting! And I swear, no running until Wednesday!
Here's the link to
my Garmin stats.
Activity| Route: | -- | Elev. Avg: | 709 ft | | Location: | Oregon, IL | Elev. Gain: | -6 ft | | Date: | 10/05/08 | Up/Downhill: | [+85/-91] | | Time: | 08:33 AM | Difficulty: | 1.8 / 5.0 |
| Distance: | 3.05 miles |
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| Time: | 0:25:34 | | Speed: | 7.2 mph |
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| | Pace: | 8' 23 /mi |
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| | Calories: | 311 |
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 Elevation (ft) Pace (min/mile) Splits| Mile | Pace (min/mile) | Speed (mph) | Elevation
Gain |
|---|
| actual | +/- avg | actual | +/- avg |
|---|
| 1 | 8' 27 | +0' 04 | 7.1 | -0.1 | -3 ft | | 2 | 8' 35 | +0' 12 | 7.0 | -0.2 | +16 ft | | 3 | 8' 08 | -0' 15 | 7.4 | +0.2 | -17 ft | | end | 7' 05 | -1' 18 | 8.5 | +1.3 | -3 ft | | Versus average of 8' 23 min/mile |
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