A Local 5K...

Heidi

 

 

So this past Saturday my son, Justin and I ran Run The Grove 5k.  Proceeds went to the PTO at my other son's middle school.  We ran it last year so I thought it would be fun to run it again and see how much I could beat my time.  Now that I am finished my first half, it is time to work on my speed again.

 

After I finished my half, I decided I wanted to run  this race at a 12:30 pace.  It is extremely hilly so I thought that would be a challenge but was realistic since my speed mile around my hood was about 12:15 per mile.  (That is for one mile, mind you.)  I also am running The Chester County Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning.  Again, ran this one last year.  I am hoping to run that one at a 12:00 minute mile which will give me a new PR for the 5k.  It is a flat course so we shall see.

 

So we get to the race and pick up our race packet.  I am a little nervous as I know I have a goal in mind.  It is a small race and apparently even smaller than last year.  That is a bummer because as we all know, my biggest goal (fear)  in ALL RACES is to NOT BE LAST!!  I chit chat with some people that I know all the while searching out my competition.  Kristen shows up with her boys and we talk about the other competitors.  (Kristen's daughter and husband were running it too.  And yes, her nine year old daughter can smoke me!!!)  I was wearing my One More Mile shirt that had "Dear God, Please let there be someone behind me to read this." on it.  I made a statement to Kristen that I had  a feeling God might let me down on this one.  Oh well.

 

So the race starts, I go out kind of fast (for me, of course) and my heart rate monitor was stuck on 80 beats per minute.  No way was my heart that slow.  I always run with a heart rate monitor and have been doing my speed workouts according to my heart rate.  I wanted to run this race with a heart rate of 165 beats per minute on the down hills and 170 beats per minute on the hills.  When the stupid thing finally started working I was at 175 BPM and that may have been on the down hill.  I can't really remember.  My first mile split was 11:51.  I have never run that quick outside with hills. 

 

I slowed it down a little on the second mile but was still at a 12:30 pace overall.  At this point I passed (yes passed) a couple of folks that started to walk.  Woo Hoo.  I should have never doubted God.  Wearing that shirt always works!!!!!!  By the time I entered the stadium, I was beat!!  I knew I had to sprint if I had any chance of getting a PR.  SO...I sprinted.  I am sure if you saw it on video it would not look like a sprint but it was...again....for me. 

 

I ended up with a time of 38:43.  That is 5 seconds off my last PR (which was on a nice flat course).  That ended up being a 12:28 pace.  GOAL #1 ACCOMPLISHED!!  It is also 4 minutes and 2 seconds faster than last year on this course.  Looks like this running thing is getting better.  Who knew??  OH...and I beat 5 people.   Bring on the Turkey Trot!!!

 

Oh and because it isn't all about me...Justin (who by the way has not run once since the half marathon in Sept.) ended up getting a medal...3rd in his age group.  (There were four total.  Ha Ha.  But still he did well.)   Kristen's daughter ended up third in her age group and a neighbor of our's daughter got first in her age group.  Congrats to all of them.  Maybe next year Kristen and Brian will let us stay for the ceremony and we can take pictures instead of our neighbor dropping the medals off at our front doors.  Just saying!!!

 

I am kind of digging the 5k's right now so next up are...The Chester County Turkey Trot in Downingtown, PA, Brian's Run 5 Miler in West Chester, PA, A Christmas Story 5k in Cleveland, OH (yes you read that right.  We are going to run in Cleveland right where A Christmas Story was filmed.  I hope I don't shoot my eye out.  Ha Ha) and then the Jingle Bell Run/Walk in Malvern, PA.  That should finish out the year for me.  Come join us for some of these runs!!!

 

 

Emma, Brian, Me and Justin getting ready to "Run The Grove..."