Auntie Em Goes Running

Nookachamps 5K!   Brilliant weather, around 35 degrees at start and SUNNY!  Wow.  Imagine 1000 people who haven't seen the sun for weeks receiving all that free vitamin D and lining up for a race together.  Mucho adrenaline and excitement.  They actually start the 1/2 M, 10K and 5K all at the same time at the same start line.  Its a madhouse, with 5Kers trying to start on pace and trying not to trample 1/2 marathoners in the first few minutes.  Takes some focused attention.  Things shook out after the first 3 minutes, though, and the 5K turned off just after the first mile, when things got considerably better.

I kept right on pace the first mile (6:52), and felt super great.  It was mostly flat with an uphill near the end.  Second mile, more uphill, some down, and still on pace (6:58).  In the third mile, the terrain got a lot tougher (more uphill and a squishy trail).  My pace suffered here, and was 7:30 or thereabouts.  Uphill finish, with the course actually ending higher than it started!  I could barely get enough air in the last 400m, and wish I could have sprinted a bit, but NO.  My time was about a minute slower than I wanted, but still a PR over my last 5K (which was a super easy course).  Finished in 22.30 (I don't think this will exactly match the official time, but that's what the clock said as I crossed the line).  I was either first or second in my division, not really sure.

There were lovely hot showers in the gym, after which I ran out to the 10K and 1/2 finish area and handed out medals.  It was a privilege to put a medal around Sno's neck!