Freedom 5K

Earlier today I ran my fourth 5K race and my fifth race overall. It was the Freedom 5K and we went along the Fourth of July Parade route for my town. Sans parade, of course.

The day started out cool and rainy but, of course, a few minutes before the race was to start the sun came out and the temperature warmed up considerably. I had been hoping for cloudy and rainy since I haven't been doing much running in the heat and sun but I guess it wasn't to be. When I was getting dressed this morning I opted for short-sleeves as opposed to a tank top. As the sun came out I wished I had worn the tank top but it was too late to change. I pinned on my number (1111!), hit the port-a-potty before the line got too long and was ready to run.



I started out at the back of the pack. I'm certainly not the slowest runner out there but we have people who can run these races in 15 minutes! I let those people hang out at the front. It was a large group for our area. I'm really bad at guessing how many people were there, but last year there were over 400 participants. I'm guessing this year was similar? Anyway, the siren went off and out we went.

It was an out-and-back course so I knew that the faster people would pass us on the way back. Luckily they had closed both the four-lane streets we were running on so there was plenty of room for everyone. I was struggling during this race. More so than usual. I don't know if this was due to the fact that my running really suffered during the months of May and June or if it's just that I'm still not re-acclimated to running in the sun and heat. A weird stomach cramp started up almost as soon as I started but I just kept running through it. I was tempted to stop and walk but I never did. I just kept trudging along.




I didn't pass a lot of people but I also didn't get passed very much either. I did, however, end up passing that girl in the dark pink in the previous photo. I think the worst mistake I made (other than not training enough) was to accept water at the last aid station. I grabbed the cup and took two swigs and poured the rest down my front. I normally don't drink when I run but I was so hot and sweaty that I thought it would help. It didn't. In fact, when I got within sight of the finish I tried to sprint only to feel the water I had just drank bouncing and sloshing around in my stomach. I tried to sprint the last .1 miles only to slow back to my trudge just before the finishing chute. It made me sad since I love to sprint to the finish. But at least I got to sprint a little bit.



It occurs to me after looking at the pictures of me running, I really need to work on my form. I'm sure that will help my times, too. Speaking of times, I had started my watch when I went past the start line and stopped it when I got to the end of the finishing chute. My watch tells me I ran this 5K in 28:41. The photographic evidence indicates something else.



That's me with my arms raised trying not to puke. I know that if I had sprinted all of the last .1 miles I would have thrown up. So, I sacrificed some time for my stomach contents.

Official results are not posted yet. Hopefully they will be by the end of the weekend. But I know I finished with a time of 28:something. I was seriously hoping for a time of 27:something but I'll take the 28:something time. I'm very curious to see the official time. If it's what it said on the finishing clock than it may be a PR (by only a few hundredths of a second, but still). If it's what it said on my watch then it's slightly slower than my PR. Regardless, I suppose I should be proud of that when I take my lack of training for the past two months and the sun and heat into account.

Let's review my previous 5K race times -

First 5K ever: In September, shady, perfect temperature: 33:23
Second 5K: In November, great temperatures, included some trail running: 29:27.44
Third 5: In March, 15^oF: 28:23


Overall it felt like the most difficult race I've ever run. It even felt harder than the 10K I ran in April. I suppose that's what a lack of training for two months will do to you!

EDIT: Times are posted! My official race time was 28:14.1. That's a personal record! I guess even though the race felt difficult I did my best ever anyway. Yay!

Run for the Health of It 10K

This morning I ran the Christie Clinic Run for the Health of It 10K race. This was my first 10K race. I've certainly run that distance before during my long weekend runs, but I had no idea how I'd do actually racing it.

The weather was horrible today. High 30s (Fahrenheit), windy, and doing that thing where it's sort of raining and sort of snowing at the same time. I don't own a wind breaker or a rain jacket of any kind so I was resigned to getting rather wet.

I did not really prepare everything ahead like I usually do. This meant that I was rushing out the door at 7:40 AM. I didn't realize until I got to the race that I had forgotten to put on my watch. I was a little ticked at myself but quickly got over it. I was actually more ticked that I hadn't thought to bring gloves. My hands were freezing! I'm glad I only got to the race starting point about 15 minutes before the race actually started. I don't think I could have stood outside for much longer than that. They did, however, have a tent set up with those standing patio heaters in it. I was tempted to hide in there but I knew I needed to walk around to get my leg muscles warmed up.

When it came time to head for the starting line, I took my place near the back of the pack. Behind most of the 10K runners but in front of the 5K runners. None of the races in my area are large enough to use corrals or even chip timing. Today made me yearn for a chip-timed race but I'll get to that later.

Someone sang the national anthem and there was a short speech about the charity all the proceeds were going to support (at least, I think that's what the speech was about. I couldn't actually hear whoever was speaking). The women standing next to me were chanting "Warm Shower, Cold Beer" and hopping up and down trying to get warm. A couple on the other side of me was huddle hugging each other back to front and joking that they were going to run like that. To be perfectly honest, I think today might have even felt colder than the 5K race I ran on the 15⁰F day. I blame it on the wind and the rain/snow. At least the sub-freezing race was on a clear, sunny day.

The horn blew at 8:15ish and off we went. I really began to regret my lack of watch when we passed the first mile marker and there was no clock and no one telling us our times. Consequently, I have no idea what my splits were like. All I know is that the first mile was hard. I was cold, my hands felt like blocks of ice, and I was having difficulty finding a pace. The second mile was also difficult but I could tell it was getting easier. At least the second mile took us through a residential area of town that I'd never been to and that had interesting houses to look at. About mile three I starting getting a horrible pain in my left collarbone. I knew that I was too tense. When I'm cold I tend to hunch my shoulders up around my ears. I spent most of this mile reminding myself to relax my shoulders. Thankfully my hands had warmed up so I didn't have to fight that, too. Miles four and five were surprisingly easy. They felt really, really good. I passed quite a few people during those miles. The last mile was a little bit harder. I was getting tired and the mile was on a straight, flat road so I could see all the way to the turn to the finish. Normally I like that, but this time I was wet and cold and just wanted to be done. I felt like the stop light just before the final turn was taunting me.

Finally, I made it to the turn to the finish. As I turned the corner I looked up at the clock and saw that it said 59:35. Less than a hour! I full on sprinted to the finish and I believe that the clock said 59:55 as I went into the chute. This is where I really wished that the race had been chip timed. I know that if the race had been chip timed I would easily have a 59:something finish time. But now I have to hope that the person doing the recording at the finish got my time written down correctly. I'll have to wait until I get the official results in the mail (they mail you your results on a pre-addressed postcard) but right now I'm thinking that I ran my first 10K in under an hour! I did not go into this race with a time goal in mind. But when I turned that corner and saw that the clock hadn't broken the one hour mark yet? My goal became to finish in under an hour.

This race is super-flat (of course, I live in central Illinois. We are not known for our hills.) and sticks almost entirely to residential areas. The race coordinators did an excellent job of putting mile markers at each and every mile. The course was clearly marked and there were tons of volunteers giving encouragement and making sure we stayed on the correct streets. There were at least two water stations but I skipped both of them. I don't drink while I'm doing my regular training runs and I didn't feel particularly thirsty during the race what with the cold and the wet weather. The finish chutes were nicely placed and they were kind enough to have a volunteer reminding everyone which chute to head for. Post-race there were a ton of bagels and Gatorade and water. In the same tent where they had placed the space heaters there was a (good!) local 80s cover band playing music. The local Coach's Cooking Team was scheduled to start barbecuing around 10:30. And I'm sure there was going to be an awards ceremony of some kind but, seeing as how I was wet, cold, tired and craving a hot shower I decided to head home.

Sadly, there are no pictures of me actually running the race. But, my husband did get one of me after the finish. Smile on my face, wind in my bandanna, and post-race cinnamon crunch bagel in my hand.

Earth, Wind and Fire 5K

Thanks everyone for all the encouragement to get out of bed and race in the 15^oF weather! You're right, now I can say that I ran in sub-freezing temperatures!

I think the most fascinating thing about running when it's that cold outside is that you're sweating but you don't realize it until you're standing in a warm place and suddenly your clothes feel damp. Ick.

Anyway, the race was well organized (cones and volunteers at every turn), but the race director felt the need to explain the course to us via a megaphone while we all stood outside at the starting line. Everyone was shivering and jumping up and down trying to stay warm.

Every race I've done has been small (fewer than 200 people) and the races in this area don't tend to bother with chips or timing mats or corrals or any of that stuff. So, you just sort of guess what part of the group at the start line to stand in. "Runners in front, walkers in back" tends to be the only direction given. I sort of envy all of you with your chips and your mats :-)

Although the weather predicted wind and snow thankfully there were neither. There were a few spots that were sort of windy but most of the course wound through the academic center of the University of Illinois and I guess the wind must have been held off by the buildings. The course was super flat (of course, being in Central Illinois it's difficult to find otherwise) and, I have to admit, kind of dull. It was two loops of the same course and didn't even take us through the Engineering section campus which I happen to think is the prettiest and most interesting part. Or perhaps I was just so focused on running that I didn't notice any of the "points of interest" the race directors thought they were including.

This was my first race of 2008 and only my third race ever. I was really hoping to come in under 28 minutes but my "unofficial" time was 28:37. Which is 50 seconds faster than my last official 5K time. I haven't been doing any speed work; I've only been working on increasing distance. I think I went out too fast considering I ran the first mile in 9:05! That's the fastest I've ever run a mile I think. Oops. I couldn't keep that pace up for the whole race, sadly. I think part of the issue is that since my lungs are not accustomed to breathing frozen air I started having a little difficulty breathing during the middle part of the race.

Overall, it was a nice, easy race. 28:37 is a race PR for me so that's nice, too. And, like many of you said, I can now tell people that I'm super hardcore because I ran a race in sub-freezing temperatures.

Rattlesnake Master 5K

Yes, I'm already up and coherent at 11:00 AM on a Sunday. Why, you ask?

Because I ran my second 5K race this morning!

The race was the 5K/10K Rattlesnake Master held at Meadowbrook Park in Urbana, Illinois. I did the 5K run. It was nice and sunny and cool this morning as we ran through the sculpture garden and the restored prairie.

The start was kind of hilarious because they had the 10K runners and the 5K runners line up facing each other. At first we thought it was going to be full-contact racing and that part of the challenge was to push our way through the group opposite us. Thankfully that wasn't part of the plan.

The run is really quite nice. It takes you through the Wandell Sculpture Garden and the prairie, both on paved paths and non-paved trails. While waiting to head to the start line this morning we saw a deer bounding through the grass. I started out wearing my leggings, a short sleeved shirt, and a fleece zip-up jacket. Just after the first mile I got warm and unzipped the fleece. Thankfully Jason was waiting for me at the half-way point where I handed off my jacket. "My own personal coat-check," I commented to the people I was passing as I handed him my jacket.

I paced myself by running behind a woman I knew from my Beginning Women's Running Group. I know she runs just a little bit faster than me so I figured that as long as I kept her in my sights then I would be doing fine. And, in fact, I did my first mile in 9:40! In my training runs I aim for 10 to 11 minute miles so I was doing quite well. I conserved my energy and planned to kick it up a notch at the end. Sadly, the trail became quite narrow and I was unable to pass the person in front of me before the finish line. Regardless, I crossed the finish line in just under 30 minutes! That's my new personal record! Hopefully the race results will be posted soon and I can get my "official" time. I forgot to start my watch when the race started so while I know the clock said 29.something when I passed it, I don't really have a better idea of what my time is.

Strangely, although there were two water stations along the course, there was no cold (or even air temperature) water after the finish line. Instead, there was hot water for hot chocolate and some kind of vitamin water with Sucralose. Now, maybe it's just me but Sucralose leaves a horrible taste in my mouth and actually makes me thirstier. So, needless to say, I was disappointed that there was nothing refreshing for me to drink. And, of course, I had forgotten to bring my own bottle of water. Learned my lesson. At least there were bananas and "race rolls" from Great Harvest Bread Company.

Overall, I enjoyed this race and will definitely do either the 5K or (maybe) the 10K next year.

Women's Fitness 5K

My first 5K race was the 22nd Annual Women's Fitness 5K Run. It's held at a local park and we run two laps around/through it. All the proceeds from this event benefit Crisis Nursey and the Center for Women in Transition. This year each organization ended up with just over $1000 dollars.

As for the actual race, the course looks like




We did our warm-ups just before 9AM. It was a little bit of basic aerobics followed by some stretching. It actually reminded me how much I miss my step-aerobics class.

Then we lined up at the start. I made sure to get in the back so that I didn't get run over by the faster runners. My parents, Jason, and two friends came out to cheer me on.

This is me (in the pink) finishing the first lap.



My time on the first lap was around 17:00. That's about what I was expecting. I couldn't find anyone really to run with, but that ended up being fine with me. Running in a group is fun, but running alone allows me to get more into "the zone."

As I neared the finish line, I realized that I had a lot more speed left in me. I pretty much sprinted the last half-mile.



My final time? 33:23.8. I finished 91st out of 132 runners total and 28th out of 39 in my age group. Not spectacular, but I'd say it's pretty good for not being able to run 3.2 miles outdoors at the beginning of the summer. I'm sure I'll just get faster over time. I'll probably never win any awards, but that's not really my goal.

But everyone who finished the race got a free key chain compliments of Skirt Sports. It says "Skirt Power!" on the back of it.



Overall, I had a fun time. I can't wait to do another one!