Ran My Second 5K Race

Yesterday I ran my second 5K race. (The Susan G Komen "Race For the Cure" in Portland, Oregon.)

I ran my first back in June and finished in 31:30. I was a little disappointed by the time, since I'd run a 5K in just under 30 minutes during my training runs. I put it down to the heat and my inexperience with racing (I started way at the back and got off to a very slow start). I remember, near the end, willing myself to make a "final burst" for the last half mile but being way too exhausted to do anything other than hang on till the end and just keep on chugging along.

So, I'd been a bit nervous about my second race. This wasn't helped by the fact that I'd pushed too hard on a long (11 mile) training run and spent most of last week walking instead of running and nursing a sore left leg.

Yesterday morning started out cool (mid 50's Fahrenheit) and with a light rain/drizzle. I got down to the riverfront in downtown Portland about an hour before race time. I picked up my race bib and timing chip and then started a warm-up jog. My legs were a little stiff, but they felt good - refreshed from the rest last week. I jogged by the river for a mile or so and soaked in the atmosphere. Lots of people there already, lots of bright pink (in honor of the breast cancer charity organizing the race) , some people in some pretty crazy costumes.

By race time I was feeling good. There was a very positive vibe from the crowd and runners, the rain had stopped and my legs were still feeling great.

I positioned myself towards the back of the runners as we waited for the starting gun.

The race started and I felt a burst of adrenaline as we set off along the city streets which had been closed to traffic for the race. There were people on the sidewalks cheering, cheerleaders and even some school bands.

I ran along at what I thought was my normal pace (about 10 min/mile) thinking that I'd see how my legs felt after a mile and then try to speed up a bit if I was doing OK. I was overtaking some people and picking my way through the crowd.

As we came to the first mile marker I was in for a surprise. I checked my watch and it said 7:05 - I was shocked! I'd never run close to a seven minute mile before! I started to wonder if the mile marker was in the wrong place or if I'd made a mistake and it was a random sign by the side of the road. :bigsmile:

I tried to maintain the pace and continued overtaking people. At this point I figured I was almost half-way and I noticed that quite a few runners were struggling and slowing down. I kept maneuvering through the crowd and kept pushing on.

By the time I passed the second mile marker I was getting pretty excited. My watch read 15:30-ish, so I knew I was going to finish under 30 minutes even if I really slowed down. At this point I felt like my distance training was paying off because I knew I still had plenty of energy left. I started picking runners ahead of me as "targets" and focused on catching up with them. I continued overtaking people but I was definitely slowing down myself too. Then I could see the finish line in the distance and hear a band playing. I managed a short burst and felt great as I crossed the line.

I don't have my official time yet but I timed it at 24:36.

So in the three months between my races, thanks to MFP, I lost about 16 pounds and shaved about seven minutes off my 5K time.

I'd like to thank all of my MFP friends for their advice, inspiration and encouragement. You guys rock!!