My First 5K!

So this morning I ran my first 5K ever!!  I am feeling really awesome!  First off, the feelings pre-race.  I was feeling pretty nervous.  I was worried I would be the last person.  I was worried I would get a terrible time- like be kicked off the course because I was too slow.  (They actually do that!)  I was worried because I was running with my aunt Emily (who is only 2 years older than me) who is in great shape and has been running for years, and I knew I was going to be pathetic in relation to.  I was worried I would sprain my ankle or something.  I was just nervous!  

But I was also excited!  My very first 5K!  Plus, last Saturday Faith and I ran 2.98 miles (in the ice and snow!!!) in 50 minutes, and I felt like I could keep going.  So I knew I would be able to finish it.  Just maybe not in the allotted hour. Plus Emily lives in Logan, and I don't get to see her very often, so I was excited about that.

Things I did not think about but probably should have: hills.  How hot/cold I might be.  Cars.  Carrying water.

How it went:  It went pretty well!  I did not anticipate hills, and the first half of the race was a gentle slope upward, with a BIG hill right in the middle.  It was terrible!  My track does NOT have hills.  I did not realize how much harder that would be!  So the first half, I was a little bit like- "I am going to be dying before I finish!"  But I looked back, and realized I was somewhere in the middle of the pack, which was a big relief.   And after the big hill, it was all downhill, so it felt really good for the last half.  I felt like I was doing awesome!  I was pushing myself to jog faster and walk faster during my intervals. 

Funny thing:  I wore a jacket over my tank top because I thought I might get cold.  But I was too hot, so I tied it around my waist.  Only it didn't like to stay tied.  So I pretty much ran the whole race holding the knot of my jacket right over my crotch.  I felt pretty stupid, but what else are you going to do? Ha ha!

Finishing:  We decided to run in the last little while.  My current interval is 30 sec running, 40 sec walking.  (And I do not feel bad about walking REALLY slow...)  And for the last stretch of the race we jogged faster than normal, for 1 min 20 sec straight.  And in the last 20 sec we sprinted.  I did not think I could do that!  (A side note from another attempt at ending in a sprint that ended really badly...)  But I did!  And I felt sooooo good!  It had started to drizzle, and the rain was so nice and cooling!  And I felt awesome!

Pre-Race Goals:  Avg Pace: Realistic:  Under 17 minutes per mile Hopeful: 15 something per mile

Total Time:  Realistic: Under an hour  Hopeful: 50 minutes or so

Actual times:  Avg Pace: 15:31 per mile (Yessss!!  Hit the hopeful goal!!)

Total Time:  48:28  (Yessss!!  Hot the hopeful goal again!!!)

Fastest Mile: 15:10

Fastest 1K: 9:16

I feel really good for hitting my goals, and for finishing the 5K!  It was an awesome run! :)