Today I Ran Short and Fast….

…and it was weird.

Weird because I am used to running long and slow.

I woke up and got ready for  Ryan’s Reindeer 5k and it was so fun!

Getting ready for a 5k is so different than getting ready for a long run. I felt like I was forgetting something, like Gu or a handheld water bottle! It was nice to just get up, get dressed, eat and head to a 5k! 

The race was small, maybe 700 people. But it was great! My first race in NC!! And I am happy with how it went! I can’t wait to do more with my friend Breaking Pace and her hubs! Read her race report HERE! 

I got there and scoped out the competish. I saw two girls in Runningskirts…I knew they had to be runners. I would say only runners know about running skirts through 1) race expos, large race expos or 2) blogging, running blogging. There were other girls who looked like they could burn some rubber, to include my friend Jessica (who is a speedy devil too) and her friend Niki.

When we finally got to start it was a mess! Strollers and dogs on leashes, the little ones you really have to look out for! As soon as I figured out it was a gun start and not chip start I ran a little faster.  Our friend Hizzo ran with me the whole time! The Hubs hung back with LB, who was doing his first 5k (he did great BTW, aside from a cramp with about .3 left Poor kiddo….what a trooper though, I told him to cross that finish line and he took off!)

The first half mile was up hill. That’s nice. But, on a good note I was certainly warm by the time it leveled out. It was maybe 30 degrees this morning with a wicked wind chill.

The course was an out and back. When the leaders began to come back I saw a Runningskirt run by. Yep. I called it, she was fast.  Then I kept counting the girls. In all there were only 23 girls ahead of me…I was motivated. I picked up my pace and decided I would not get passed by anymore girls.

I may have gotten passed once but I passed two more.  It was a downhill finish and I was hauling it to the finish when a girl in a pink fleece tried to put the move on…Oh no she’s not! There was no way I was going to let this chick chick me. I ran faster. She put up a good fight but couldn’t hang.

I beat her.

I finished with a new 5k PR (at least a PR in my adult life): 25:16 (8:11 pace) by my Garmin.  My best pace was a 5:21 min/mile pace coming to the finish.

 

They had the results taped to a truck and I counted the female finishers in my age group (30-39! Biggest age group ever! What ev!) and I may have gotten 4th or 5th or 8th, I’m not sure. It was freezing and we were starving so we headed to breakfast. Overall I got 99th place, Hizzo got 98th. I’m happy with that.

So, today  I scouted out the running field here in  Fay-Town. The reigning champ better watch out. I am here now. Apparently she wins all the local races. I feel sorry for her…she has no idea that I am coming for her. I am coming to dethrone her. Fay-town will be mine….

*Ok, that was creepy. Sorry. If you read this I am nice, honest. Not creepy. Actually, can we be friends? Need a new running partner? I’m not really coming for you, in real life….just on the pavement.

So, with a little bit of training and speed work I know I can bring my time down and put up a good fight for these small local races.

Here are some pics!

Here we are freezing our booties off waiting to start! LB was thrilled to see Santa, can’t you tell?

Breaking Pace, ME, Speedy Devil and Lazy Dog (who isn’t so lazy anymore with our big back yard and back neighbors who have a yard full of chickens to keep him busy)

Me, LB and Hizzo…

ME of course…this pic makes my legs look long.

Lazy Dog’s rump, Me, LB, Breaking Pace and her Hubby, Speedy Devil, and Niki

Me and the Hubs

Me, Jess, Christina and tongues…of course.

I can’t wait for the next race!!!