6:00 PM
Temp: 75°F
Humidity: 86%
I ran the Lightfest 5K last night with Krissy (her first race ever and she beat her desired time by 1.5 minutes!!!)
I have been sick for about 4-5 days, so the last time I ran was 5 days ago, and before that was 5 days, so as this race was getting closer, I had changed my goal from beating 29 minutes (last 5k I did, I did at 29:40 and 9:46 min/mile pace) to just beating my last race of 29:40 to just finish the race. I still kept in my head, it would be kinda cool to beat 29 even if barely, but as sick as I felt, I knew there was no way.
As Krissy and I walked the route trying to find the elusive start line, I started to feel a bit better even though a weird cramp in my shoulder started creeping up again.
The race was in our local big park and they have a lightfest every year that you pay to drive through and look at all the holiday lights they put up, but last night it was only open to the runners for the race. It was very very very dark, I forgot that they don’t have street lights there and even with the holiday lights, it was almost to dark. Running along I would get blinded by someones car (parked) lights or someone running with lights around their neck and would almost run into people because of it. I was mostly worried about running into one of the many ponds/lakes in the park, but thankfully, I wasn’t even close.
I wore my tech shirt from this years 13K and had a lot of comments about that race and even saw one guy with the same shirt on. 
Everyone else seemed to love that race as well and saddened that this year was the last year for it.
Anyhow, so as I was running, I had my cardiotracker on and I had set it to tell me my pace etc. every minute. I was shocked when I my pace was mostly around 7-8:30 and then when it was telling me time/distance it would say 2 digits time under my distance! (i.e. you have gone 2.4 miles in 22 min. 24 min means about 10 min pace, anything under that means less.) I have never in all my running, heard it go time less than distance, so when I heard it say 2 min under the distance, I was stoked, I would run this race in under 29 min if I could keep it up!
It was a really hard run I was doing and the first .5 miles I had pain in my lungs and found it very hard to breath and I had worried that I would not make it and possibly pass out from lack of O2 but eventually that went away (not the pain though). All in all I crossed the finish line at 28:30 (official time had me at 28:34)!!!!! I had no idea I had that in me! I am so excited, even now, a day later. My ultimate goal for 5K is to beat 24 min, so I have quite a ways, but I didn’t even think I was that close to beat 29!! Next race, with proper training and not being sick, maybe I can see it in the 27 range!! Speaking of which, Krissy wanted to see how she did on her first race, before committing to another one and she is all set now to sign up for our next race which happens to be in my neighborhood and in 2 weeks! YAY!
Oh and the coolest thing?!?! I came in 6th in my age group out of 35!!! I am usually about the bottom 10 or so!!!
And now for some pictures:
Krissy and I before the race
We don’t have any pics of during because it was so dark and my husband didn’t want to blind the runners with the flash. I do have one of Krissy before the finish line, but again, because so dark and my little camera is the pits, she is completely out of focus and you can barely see her.
a pic of us right after the race:
Running time: 28:30
Distance: 3.14 miles
Miles for this week: 6.14 miles
Calories burned: 349
Avg pace: 9:04 min/mile
