Valentine's Day 5K

Yesterday I ran the local Valentine's Day 5K. One of the greatest things about this race is the entry fee: $5. Seriously! The weather has been iffy lately, but I really wanted to get out there and put some speed into these legs - even if it wasn't a great showing.

I planned to go solo, but to my delight, my 8 year old called me at work on Friday and asked if he and his friend could come along too. Sweet. So they came along and John and Jake also decided to run it.

It was cold (low 20s), but fortunately little wind and the sun was shining. Ran into a bunch of running friends, which is always nice. Because I had the whole crew, I had very little time for a warm-up, but was able to put in about a mile.

The race was off and it is a very crowded/slow start as hundreds of people jam onto a bike path. I was able to get space by about .5 in. The first mile is by far the easiest as it is downhill or flat. Sometimes it can be really windy off the lake, but it wasn't too bad. However, my thumbs were completely numb. I hit the first mile was 7:05. Perfect. The second mile was not so easy. Two decent uphills and about .3 miles of bad footing (packed snow/ice). Second mile clicked off at 7:21. Not too bad, but not great. Third mile was fine, but I just didn't have the fire in my belly to run really hard. I did pick it up, but typically the last .5 or so I really give it. Maybe because I knew a good time was already out the window? Not sure. Mile 3 was 7:17 and last .1 was at 6:57 pace. Finished 22:34. I was not disappointed in my time, but I really do need to work on my mental aspect of racing. I never had that burn/pain you normally get in the 5K.

I ran back down the course to find the boys. They were all together and my 8 year old and his friend were focusing on beating Jake and dad. They had each formed 2 man teams, so it was a real competition! It was fun running back with them - they were both having a great time. It was my son's friend's first 5K and he really liked it, which of course I thought was great. They finished in 34:24/34:32 and Jake and dad came in at 34:51/35:06 (close!). We all celebrated a terrific race with lunch at Subway.

Now, I am getting ready for a hilly 20 miler. Unfortunately it is 12 degrees right now. Ack. Should hold steady there for the 3ish hours I'll be out there. Wish me luck! :)