Saturday, July 13, 2013

Beat the Heat 5k

Remember that whole, "I don't want to focus on running a 28-flat 5k" business?

Yeah. Today I ran a 27:40. BOOM.

Gorgeous morning for a run!
I went into this race aiming for around 30 minutes. I've been running almost exclusively on the treadmill in the AC this summer, and haven't really been sure about what my "real time" pace would be. On top of that, today's race began at 7:30. It was already in the mid-70s, sunny, and humid.
Pre-race!
The only reason I even ran the race today was because Steph was in town. She wanted to run a 5k, and we were lucky enough to find one!

We got to the venue with enough time to use the bathroom the necessary four times and pick up our bibs. No time to warm up. That was alright; the sun was warming my muscles enough.
Pre-race!
This was a race without a mat at the starting line, so we lined up right at the front to make sure the times were as accurate as possible. The run took us through a beautiful and quiet neighborhood. Some of the streets were shaded by houses and trees, but as we wound through the course there was plenty of sun and not enough of a breeze.

I knew I had started too fast in the beginning; I didn't feel tired necessarily, but I knew I might have trouble keeping up my 8:30 pace. I mean, I'm usually struggling for a 9:20 pace in a 5k! But by the time I got to the halfway point and was still holding in the 8:40s, I knew I had already PR'd.

I purposely bypassed water (I hydrated really well the night before) and cut back a little at 2.5 miles to conserve a little energy. As I rounded the corner at mile 3, a couple ladies passed me, and I was going to just let them go...But then the clock made an appearance. Seeing 27:25 on the clock stoked the flames, and I sprinted the end, beating out the two women and finishing in 27:40 flat; I broke my PR by 59 seconds.

I felt so strong and unstoppable at the end!
Best moment of the race? My sister said she teared up as I crossed the finish line because I was so fast and looked so strong, and she knows how hard I've been working.

This was my first run in my new shoes. I like how they feel a lot, but I'm not sure about the color. It may take some getting used to. Luckily, I get 30 days of wear before the return policy expires. I plan to take them out for my first long run of training tomorrow to see how they feel at a slow-steady-and-long pace.

Rocking our bling!
Matt came in 4th in his AG and PR'd by 50 seconds, coming in at 24:58. Steph placed 4th overall for women and 1st in her AG (she was the only one in her category, but her 22:43 time is nothing to sneeze at).

And for the first time ever I placed! I came in 3rd in my AG! Woop!

This never happens! I have to keep finding small races!

I wore the bracelet flipped today, and I think it really helped me mentally.
This was such a great race. It really made me realize that the running streak, the marathon plan, and my personal dedication is finally paying off. I was trying today but I never expected to see such progress so quickly!

My legs felt strong the entire time; the hardest part was breathing through the humidity. But I committed to embracing the discomfort and just ran through it. Mentally tough, baby.

Final stats: 18/47 women, 60/114 over all. Not terrible!
Three PR's today...can't beat that!
Needless to say, I'm walking on air. I feel like things are just falling into place.

Tell me about your latest PR!
ABK

18 comments:

  1. Awesome job! You rock! That time is awesome!!!! :D I love the bracelet, btw

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  2. WAY TO GO!!!! You shattered it! And have bling to show ;)

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    1. Thanks! I wish it were socially acceptable to wear that medal in public lol!

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  3. YOU ROCK GIRL!!!!
    Congrats on your new PR!! Don't you feel like a rock star?? I sure did when I had 28:28 for my last 5K! I know exactly what you are talking about with "that feeling!!!!" One of the best feelings in the world!!!
    WHOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOO!!!!

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    1. Yes! You're PR was so recent, I knew you'd know what I meant. I feel crazy good!!!

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  4. Congratulations, Ali! I think it's totally acceptable to wear your medal in public! I would...LOL

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    1. Thanks lady! I'm sure I'd get some weird stares, for sure!

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  5. That's so great! I need to absorb some of the mental toughness from the sub-30 group. I don't give up when it gets hard but I do slow down.

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    1. I think for me, the run streak really helped teach me how to power through when I wasn't feeling it. I definitely slowed down some, but all the running meant my new "slow" is quite a bit faster than it used to be!

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  6. Awesome!!!! Congrats to all three of you!! And I like the color of your new shoes :)

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    1. I do like the purple, but I wish there was a mix of some other colors. I'm leaning toward white/lime green haha.

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  7. Way to go! That's so awesome!

    As it turns out, I've both placed and PR'd this season (different races though and different distances - gotta love those small races), and yes, it's pretty awesome. Way to go with hanging in there!

    And I like the shoes but I see you're a green fan...

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    1. I seriously need to find more small races. I live in a really runner-friendly area, so we have a lot of running clubs etc. I guess I need to find the lesser-known races somehow.

      I think I'd like the purple if it weren't so dark or had some white or gray accents! But honestly, they're growing on me. I may return them for a half size up, though.

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  8. Also, just saw that my run this morning pretty much matched exactly your long run Sunday, so that cheered me up.

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    1. Yep, I saw that. I blame summer! We're going to be really strong and fast in the fall haha.

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  9. Yay! Yay! Yay! Congratulations on an awesome race! And winning!!! PRing is a FANTASTIC feeling!

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    1. Thanks!! Yep, I definitely felt fantastic afterward!!

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