I really wanted this to be a good 5K race. Really, I did. I even tried my strategy of just thinking of it as a fun run in the hopes that it would take some of the pressure off. I do better when I don't think about it as much. I decided I'd do my best to keep up with my former pace bunny Maribeth and hopefully not go out too fast.
In the end, though, I think my strategy backfired. Maribeth had an awesome race. I did not. She pulled away early and I couldn't keep up. I went out too fast and tanked during the third mile. I even contemplated walking! In a 5K! I can run longer distances than that without walking. What was I thinking?
During my warm-up I felt pretty good. Hot, though, so I ended up running in just my sports bra. First time I've ever run a race that way. Felt nice, although I could have done without the guy hitting on me afterward.
The first mile was okay but definitely too fast. The second mile I started strong but couldn't hang on. The third mile was just a struggle. Seems to be my M.O. for 5Ks. Just before the turn to the finish Coach Holly yelled, "Come on, Erin! Finish strong! You're a sprinter!" and I remembered that, yeah, I do like to sprint. So I sprinted to the finish. Too little too late, though.
My final time? 26:09. I'd been hoping for something like 24:50 so this was way off.
What happened? I wish I knew. Was it because I rode my bike 2 miles to our carpool meeting spot before the race? Was it because I've been fighting off this stupid cold? Was it that I'm just not used to the warm weather yet? Or maybe I'm just raced out. Feeling flat from trying to run hard too often.
My next two race events are totally new experiences for me (a relay and a duathlon) so I have no prior times or races to compare them to. I think that will be nice.
But don't get me wrong; I didn't have a bad time overall at the Roselle 5K. I didn't even cry about my finishing time. I just shrugged my shoulders and congratulated my teammates who had great races. I cheered for our unofficial club mascot (the toddler in the photo above) who "toddled" a 600 meter race, and I clapped for club members who won awards. And then I got my post-race carbs. Mmmm, waffles.
Roselle Run for the Roses 5K by snmnstrz21 at Garmin Connect - Details
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