Riverfest on the Halifax 5k

Leading up to Saturday, I was anxious. My legs had given me trouble Monday and hadn’t started to really feel better until Thursday. The route for the Riverfest 5k was daunting, with the Dunlawton Bridge making up the entirety of mile 2. I was expecting typical May weather – hot and humid. Basically, I did not have high hopes for this race.

We arrived in Port Orange on Friday night around 8pm. We were staying with Mark and Shane, who were kind enough to host us even though Shane is due to give birth literally any day now. We ordered in Thai and sushi and spent some time catching up before Matt and I headed to bed around 10:30pm.

We were up at 6am and out the door at 6:30. The race venue was a new park – so new that the sod was still lumpy and potholed, which made the start and finish of the race challenging. We found parking without any issues and picked up our bibs. The weather was cool, breezy, and overcast. The humidity wasn’t inconsequential, but with temperatures in the low 70s, it was manageable with the breeze. When I caught sight of the bridge for the first time, my nerves increased.

As soon as we got to the water, I spotted a dolphin. I feel like it was a good omen! The causeway we crossed can be seen over my shoulder.

In fact, I went through a range of emotions in that half hour before the race. It was clear this inaugural race was going to be tiny and most of the participants were walkers, so I thought maybe I’d have a chance to place even if I walked a lot of it. Then I saw the bridge and had my doubts. Then I saw some of the runners who had been out on warmup runs come to the starting line and had more doubts.

My legs felt good, but not totally fresh. I did some lunges and stretched out on the railing along the Halifax River. When it was time to lineup, I started near the front, because why not?

I leap-frogged with the guy in front off me in the gray shirt for the majority of the race. More on that later.

The start was rocky. I struggled to keep my footing and not twist an ankle on the grass; once we got to the pavement, I sped up too much to compensate for the rough start and was running in the 7:40s. I had a moment of panic: I wasn’t sure what the heck was going on with my pace or what I could hold, and I didn’t want to burn out before I even made it to the bridge.

I managed to adjust my pace and completed the first mile in 8:48. My watch dinged just as I began the first ascent on the bridge. I was able to keep a pretty steady pace (sub-10). It was hard; my legs and lungs were burning, but in the typical “I’m running up a steep bridge” kind of way. I kept an eye on all the women already making the return trip, calculating my place in my head. (I realized later that I’m really bad at estimating ages – the women I thought were competition in my age group were out of my age group by a decade.) I let myself recover and kind of lope down the descent. At the bottom, we made a U-turn and immediately began the climb back up the bridge.

Not fun.

This part was harder. I managed not to walk, but it was a close thing. My pace dipped into the 10:50s, and when I hit the top and began the descent, my legs were jelly for longer than I’d have liked. But then the second mile dinged and I realized if I could finish the last 1.1 in less than 10 minutes, I could come in well under 30 minutes. So I shifted gears into a slightly faster pace and settled in.

Mile 2 was all bridge. I'm very pleased with my overall pace there.

It’s an odd feeling when your body engages and finds a good niche when it’s tired. It’s my favorite thing about racing.

The last quarter mile.

The last quarter mile of the race took us around the perimeter of the park, so I had a view of the clock as I entered that last lap. It was in the 26s. I would have let up in the final quarter mile if I hadn’t seen that; I knew I was on track. I gave it everything I had, which wasn’t much at this point. I felt depleted.

I felt like a newborn colt as I crossed the grass to the finish line – all wobbly legs and awkward limbs. That sod was the worst. But I finished in 28:25, 14 seconds faster than the Fast & the Furriest. 

My legs felt totally fine the entire time.

I collapsed (gracefully) behind a trailer. My brain wasn’t working yet. Matt eventually found me and told me they were posting results. He went to read them, and when he came back he told me I’d placed 2^ndin my age group.

To which I responded, “Are you joking?” He assured me he wasn’t. I said, “I might cry.” And when I looked at the photo he’d taken of the results page, I really did tear up.

Final results were 2/14 in my AG and 37/161 overall. When I saw how close behind me the 3rd place finisher had been, I was so glad I hadn't eased off my pace at the end.

The pent-up fear and doubt that had plagued me all week washed away in an overwhelming wave of emotion.

This week and this race were important reminders to me that I am still in recovery; no matter how good I feel most of the time, I need to remember that recovery isn’t linear. There will be hard runs and pain here and there. As I increase my weekly mileage, I need to give my body time to adjust.

The finisher's medals were super adorable. They were designed by a local high school girl! 

As I sat basking in my accomplishment, the man I had been running near the entire race approached me. He’d been in front of me for most of the race, although we bounced back and forth a bit on the bridge, and I finally overtook him in the last mile. He congratulated me on a great race and a consistent pace. I thanked him for pacing me. He said he was recovering from hip surgery and training for a marathon in Savannah, so he needed to practice on hills. I told him about my legs. It was a nice moment of solidarity that left me feeling warm and thankful for the running community.

My AG award was a specialty coaster!

Matt had a 6 mile paddle race after my 5k. He’s been paddling in an OC1 lately and he placed 2^ndin his division, too. After a long morning, we returned to Mark and Shane’s, where I took a nap before we all went out to get some celebratory ice cream.

I am still shocked that I was able to manage a sub-30 finish because my mindset was so messed up going in, and because of the bridge. As my mom pointed out, I was able to meet my original B goal of beating 28:39…even though I completely scrapped my original goals and my back up goals. 

This is another reminder that my mind needs to shut up sometimes and I need to trust my body. It can do hard things, and it is stronger than I think it is.

ABK

Howl at the Moon 5k

On Thursday night before the race, I was trying to measure my readiness. I was thinking, Physically, I'm probably in better shape than I was in May, but mentally I feel more disconnected and less prepared. I wonder why that is!

Anyway, we got up to Port Charlotte around 7pm. We had plenty of time to get our bibs and warmup. Originally, Todd wasn't going to run, but we all know how race peer pressure works! He signed up there last minute.

Pre-race!

Before the race, I jogged around the complex a bit (the race began and ended at the Rays spring training stadium), did some downward dogs, cariocas, etc. I was a little concerned about a night race, especially because of the time spent sitting in the car on our way there, but I loosened up really well.

I ran into two Skirt Sports Ambassadors pre-race - Jenna, who had just done a half Ironman the previous weekend, recognized me in the bathroom and we found Wendy (who had also raced the Ironman) and took a picture! Small world!

Wendy, Jenna, and me representing Skirt Sports! I wore my new Jette skirt and loved it!

The race began at 8pm sharp. The first half mile or so took us through a potholed and slightly-flooded parking lot. I had a lot of trouble finding a steady pace there and was fiddling with my phone and trying to get my music on. About half a mile in, I finally felt my legs click into a happy pace and just kept at it. Usually about 2/3 of the way in I start to flag, but that didn't really happen this time.

My legs felt awesome the entire race, but I had a side stitch for most of it and was gasping for breath, too. The humidity wasn't that high (74%) but my effort was in full swing.

Because the race course was so dark, I didn't pay much attention to my watch. I had my voice feedback set at every .25 miles, so I knew I was steadily keeping an 8:21 pace for the first mile, and about an 8:35 pace for the rest. I really was just making sure I didn't trip! I had to keep a sharp eye on the people ahead of me so I knew where to go, too.

Running in the dark meant I had very little self-consciousness. I didn't care what I looked like; I just wanted to run. It made being fast a little easier. I spent the run focusing on just keeping my legs moving; the darkness really helped the race flow by without any dramatic highs or lows.

You can see I started out fairly fast, then after a mile I slowed into a more consistent and maintainable pace, then sped up at the end again.

I entered the stadium and saw 25:xx on the clock and knew I could make it to home plate before 26:57. I just let my legs do the work and pushed to the finish. (There's a finishing video here!)

Matt got some photos of me finishing.

The boys were wiped.

I was smiling through the end and so pleased with a major PR...but I didn't feel totally elated like I did in May until I printed out my results.

I saw later that I had edged out the 4th place AG finisher by just 19 seconds, and Matt had edged out her husband by a few minutes. It was the Kearneys vs. the Maurers!

Todd finished 6th in 27:48, which is really respectable, especially considering he hasn't run in ages, and Sean took 2nd. There were 20 men in the 30-34 AG, compared to 44 in women's. We all did really well!

The post-race celebration was really fun, but I couldn't partake in the pizza and beer offered there, so we stayed long enough to get our awards (pint glasses) and then stopped at Wendy's before our drive home.

3/44, 25/330, 71/508! Color me surprised and happy!

It was a totally perfect night! In May, my goal was 27:00 and 26:57 was so close to it that it felt like a fluke and therefore I felt amazed. This 43-second PR tells me that it's true ability, and I'm ready to make more progress and chip away at my times!

ABK

SUP & Run 5k

Even though this was only* a 5k, this is going to be kind of a long post because it was a goal race and apparently I have a lot of feelings.

Friday night, Matt and I drove to Sarasota; Saturday's SUP & Run 5k was only fifteen minutes from my parents' house, so they let us and James crash there for the night.

I tore off my daily calendar before we left and felt like my weekend motivation was cryptically on-point.

Matt, James, and I had sushi for dinner, and mom had gotten us all cupcakes because she's the best host ever, so I had my fair share of carbs and protein the night before.

I was only going to eat half the cupcake but when I saw it had strawberry filling I couldn't help myself!

On the drive up, I was literally bouncing around in the car from excitement; I was just feeling totally stoked about the race. That feeling continued into the morning despite waking up a dozen times to pee (I was over-hydrating Friday because the weather for Saturday was sure to be hot). I also woke up with a bad Charlie horse despite foam rolling the night before.

Still, I felt really good Saturday morning. I rolled my calves and hamstrings and got dressed. Earlier in the week I'd decided that I wasn't going to wear a shirt to the race, which was a big deal for me and a personal milestone of a different sort. So Friday I had tried on five different sports bras to see which I felt most confident in.

After I took this, I threw an extra bra in my bag...just in case.

We left the house around 6:45. I had my UCAN mixed with water, ice, and coffee and finished it around 7:15. I had plenty of time to pick up my packet, jog around the park (mostly just to-and-from the port-a-potties a couple times), do some dynamic stretches, and drink some water.

UCAN magic.

My mom showed up at 7:50 or so; I had asked her Friday if she wanted to spectate the race and she decided to come! She's never seen Matt race SUP before so it was a good chance for her to see him in action. Matt's dad Dave also came to watch.

I never wear headphones during training anymore, but I like music on race day. My pick for this 5k? Les Mis! As I told Mom, sometimes you just need songs of revolution and rebellion in your ears!

The race began at 8:00 and it was hot. I lined up just behind Matt and James, knowing they'd be running miles in the 7s. My goal was to run an 8:41 pace as consistently as possible. Elizabeth texted just before I got to the starting line, and that helped me get my game face on.

Of course, when I first started, my pace was in the 7s. Oops. I pulled back and found a challenging-but-doable pace, around 8:20. I felt strong and confident for the first half of the race and decided to stick to the faster pace and try to bank some seconds. At mile .88 I tossed water on myself. I saw Matt and James at mile 1.4 or so, and knew I was near the turn-around. I still felt good, although I had a little side-stitch.

There had been a breeze before the turn-around, but it disappeared in the latter half of the race. Around mile 2.4 I started to flag. When I passed the water stop a second time, I tossed more water on myself. I saw 9s on my watch and tried to pick it up but the numbers just kept climbing. I got into my head: If you miss your goal, fine, but you cannot finish this race with regret. You cannot regret your performance or your finish.

Just after I started to slow down, the finish came into sight across the lake, and that really helped me kick it back into gear.

So I picked it up. I forced myself to rally. My lungs felt like they were going to pop out of my chest. My legs had been the same level of uncomfortable the entire race; I was judging my effort entirely on my breathing.

There was a tiny bridge near the end of the race (crossing back over to the finishing area), and I bartered with myself. I could conserve some energy on the uphill there, but then I'd sprint the last quarter mile to the end. So that's what I did. I pulled back just a touch, and then just let loose.

I turned the last corner and saw 26:40 on the clock. My eyes laser-focused into tunnel vision. F THIS! I'M GETTING A SUB-27! I told myself, and pushed pushed pushed to the end.

I crossed the line at 26:57.

My A goal was 27:00; my secret A+ goal was sub-27, and I freaking EARNED IT.

Exhausted and proud!

My mom found me doubled-over at the finish and seemed appropriately surprised and impressed with my speedy finish; she wanted to get pictures but I'd come in too fast for her! (I wish she had gotten a picture because I'm sure my face was AWFUL in the best way possible.) When I told her I'd broken 27:00, I choked up a little.

I had passed the medals when I came in, so I went back and got mine, then got a water. A quick note here: this race benefits Operation Second Chance, an organization that seeks to offer support to wounded and ill veterans. The man handing out the medals was a vet, and I thanked him for his service.

Elated!

Mom, Dave, and I hung out under his canopy for a little while because James and Matt were out on the water doing their 5k paddle, but we were at the finish when they came in. At this point, many of the wounded veterans were finishing as well. It was absolutely indescribable to watch. Many of the injured soldiers had specialty seats on their paddle-boards because they had lost their legs; Matt said he saw one female vet paddling with a single arm.

Click here to find out more about OSC.

James finished the full 10k (foot race and paddle combo) in 57:12 and Matt finished in 1:01:30. Their 5k run was 22:55! I thought it was great that they stuck together for the 5k rather than trying to push each other/beat each other because running isn't their primary sport and burning out on the run may have hurt their SUP portion. It seemed like a great strategy to hang together for the foot race.

Anyway, we hung around for awards and took some pictures in the meantime. I had a pretty good feeling I had a chance to place because there were so many divisions broken down into age groups: just the run, just the paddle, and the combination.

Sure enough, when they got to my division, I got to hear them announce my name for third in my age group! And there were more than just three of us! Yes! I collected my medal and basked in this sweet cherry on top of an already fantastic goal-destroying-sundae. (I came in 57 OA out of 163.)

Matt placed 2nd in his AG/division (5/73 OA) and James came in 1st in his AG/division (2/73 OA).

Power couple right here.

I felt weird tapering before a 5k, but I think it really paid off. Despite still having some calf issues, my legs felt fresh and ready to kick butt. Clearly my consistent running and cross-training has really paid off over the last few weeks. I'm feeling gratified and ready to continue working hard!

I honestly don't think that on this particular day I could have run any faster, and I think I performed the best I could despite losing control of my pace for a bit at the 3/4 mark; I was able to get myself back in control, so while my splits weren't even, they weren't too negative. This wasn't a race run under easy conditions, and I rose to the challenge!

I know I left it all out there, and I'm proud of that. I don't think I could have asked for a better day.

ABK

*Only as in "just three miles to review, and yet this post is 1000 pages long", not only in the sense that 5ks don't matter. Clearly they matter, because I put a lot of heart into this race :)

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