This year, running wise, I decided to focus on being thrilled to sign-up and run races. In the not so distant past (i.e. last year and 5 or 6 years prior to that), this is something that I could not seem to manage. Staying healthy is top priority and getting back fitness and speed will come with time.
So July 1st - my overall time was 31:43. Last year - same race, but cooler tmperatures - I did it in 31:08. I also had more of a warmup last year. This year I slept better and woke up not feeling great, but I was still feeling good enough to do it, which was also an improvement over last year. The course was well marked and had volunteers posted at any point, where someone (dehydrated or exhausted) could get lost or take a wrong turn. My pre-race planning and the day prior to the race could have been smoother, but I am pleased with how things went overall. The views, after the race, made it all worthwhile. Usually, I do not repeat aces, but this one is an exception. The proceeds benefit a high school, where quite a few of my cousins graduated. It is also run in memory of someone, whose sister I met a few times at family gatherings.
Next up, a new-to-me race on July 4th. I am hoping my neighbors decide that they are ok not having a July 3rd firework show, which they had last night for quite a bit of time. Thankfully, I was tired enough that I slept soundly but falling asleep proved to be a challenge.
Today's race started with a cooler temperature by nine degrees. Oh what a difference it made! I also planned better, did a full warmup sans some dynamic drills, and stuck with a good and speedy friend until the last bit of the race. I was holding back, but I still made it through the first mile in 9:40ish. Yes, this was not the plan, but I really was trying to hold back a bit. My end time was 31:05 and I was the 150th finisher. I ended up with a $25 gift certificate, which I will use when I purchase my next running shoes.
Thanks to Second Sole and the Toledo Road Runners for hosting the event! I definitely enjoyed it and I did end up napping for a little bit.
That's it, folks. Two five 5k in four days - whew - it was fun and I am not as sore as I anticipated. I will get back to negative split racing, but for now I am happy that I could race the entire distance without pain. I think this is more of a hip rather than IT band issue. So, I will do extra stretching and be happy it is on the mend.
