My groove just might be back. Hooray Hooray Hooray!
On Saturday, February 22nd I completed two 5Ks. Santa Clarita hosted the Mardi Gras Madness 5K race. They offered a competitive race at 8:00am and then a fun run/walk at 9:00am. For just $10 more, you could do both races and get two medals. Heck yeah, sign me up.
I signed up with the Cardiogirls team which is the gym that I belong to. There are a few girls that signed up that are trying to better their lives by being healthy and losing weight. I admire these girls because it takes a lot of strength and will to want to change your life and stick with it. We all ran the competitive 5K at our own paces and then all came together to walk/run the fun/run 5K.
I have only run 5Ks a couple times. In 2007 was my first 5K, the Revlon Run/Walk and I don't even remember my time, or if I ran the entire thing or not. Then last year I ran the Drenched 5K but it wasn't timed and I didn't turn on my GPS since we were supposedly going to get "drenched." So officially I can say this was my first serious 5K. Since I've been in the slumps that last month and only ran 6 or so times in the last 30 days, I wasn't expecting much. I did pretty good though. I came in 6th in my age group (30-39) with a time of 25:18:03 (average pace was 8:08). I really can't complain about that now, can I?
Post competitive 5K
Cassie, Luma, Joe and Raelyn
Not quite a 5K....but close enough
On Sunday, February 23rd I drove to Ventura and ran the Seaside Half Marathon.Was I ready? No, not really but I have trained less for a half and still did okay.
I arrived early to pick up my race packet but had a hard time finding parking until after my third loop around I finally found the parking structure they had mentioned online. As I pull up there is a big sign that says "CASH ONLY" and the ticket machine is covered up. Great, I don't have cash and since my debit card was involved with that whole Target scandal, I was issued a new card and don't know the pin. This day is not starting out great. Oh well, I'll figure it out later. (fast forward to end of race....the guy at the booth said I got free parking.)
No matter how many races I do, I still get nervous before a race. But if I were to run a race distance at home for training, I don't get nervous. I don't know if it's the anticipation that I will run my little heart out or if it's just the excitement of the race itself. I just love races. So off to the bathroom I go....
They offered corals at this race and I decided to start in the 8 minute mile coral. Not because I know I can run 8 minute miles...uh, yeah, that's a negative. But because I know I can run faster than a 9 minutes mile. The horn goes off and I take off. I have no expectations for this race. PLEASE, how can I, I haven't even trained for it. My thought was that I could definitely come in before my worst half marathon time which was around 2:33. I start my Pandora and start my Runkeeper app. I put my phone in my run belt and I hear "activity paused." WHAT? NO. I take it out and hit "resume." I hear, "activity resumed." and I put my phone back in my belt.
I'm running along and I feel kind of slow. We hit mile 1 and my Runkeeper says nothing. I have it set for every half miile and I have't head anything. JUST GREAT!! I'm not going to restart it now, what's the point. I continue on without it. No pace, no mileage, just music and the people in my head.
As I approach mile 2, I hear these two guys talking behind me. One says, "I thought they said this course was flat?" I think in my head, yeah, this course is so not flat. Great, one more thing for the people in my head to talk about.
The two guys pass me and now I am chasing them. I can't believe how slow I feel I'm running. I try and just keep up with them. All the while in my head, the people are talking.
At mile 4 or so, the guys stop to get some water. I continue on and wonder when they will pass me again. I seem to pass them at each water station but they catch up and pass me every time. This time, I'm still ahead. After the turn around point at about 6.5 miles in, I hear them behind me. Close enough that I turn to them and say, "I was wondering when you were going to catch up." They laugh and say that clearly I have mastered the art of drinking while running, while they have not. They complimented my pace and said that I was THEIR rabbit! They asked what my pace was and I said since my GPS shut off at the beginning of the race, I had no idea. In my head I was thinking some where around 9:35-9:45. One of the guys said our pace was 8:55. WHAT, are you kidding me? Holy cow. I was way off.
We chatted for a few miles, which this never happens. It was nice to talk it up so I didn't have hear the crowd in my head. They are so negative, all the time. At mile 9 they took off. I didn't have the energy to keep up so I let my rabbits go.
At mile 10 I was hating the run. It felt like it was up hill the entire way. How can that be because clearly it didn't feel down hill the first half. What is going on? I decided I could slow down. I'm not sure I actually did but I wanted to.
At mile 11, I thought 2 more miles. I found myself in a group of 3 girls that were running my pace. I was ahead and then one or two would pull ahead but we all stayed together.
Mile 12, one more mile....I believe this time I slowed down. Then I picked up my pace when we hit the board walk. I know we are close. I just want to see the finish line. I was told in the beginning that we might have to pass the finish line and turn around to come through it. NO, I do not want to pass the finish line.
Mile 13.... .1 mile to go. I see this older guy wearing a white shirt with a target on his back. I've been behind him since mile 11. I pick up my pace. I pass him. YES. I see the finish line. I see the clock 1:58:58. I am sprinting. Well, I feel like I'm sprinting but I'm probably running just faster than a turtle. As I hit the shoot 1:59:25. Are you kidding me, I have to come in under 2:00. Why? I didn't have this goal at all before the race.Now, it's my goal. As I cross the finish line 1:59:58.
Exhausted, I stop so they girl can remove my timing chip. She is taking forever and my legs are tingling. I just want to walk. Hey, where is my medal? Where are the people giving out medals? Finally, she get's my chip off and I turn around and look for someone, anyone. Ah, finally there is a girl, not very visible with medals on her arm. "Can I have my medal?" She says, "Oh, sorry."
I walk through the crowd trying to find water and food. The lady pouring water into individual cups is taking forever. SERIOUSLY woman, I just want some freakin water. The guy next to me laughs as I'm talking about her under my breath. He grabs the first cup and hands it to me. :) Thank you sir.
I find my rabbits. We give our "good job" greeting and was told that my time had to be around 1:56 because that's when they came in. Oh yeah, duh, I started after the clock and after the first wave. Of course.
My official time: 1:57:41. My third best time with an average pace of 8:59. I can't believe that I was running that fast. I felt so slow and so sluggish. (83 overall out of 342 females and 26th in my age group out of 114)
Here is what the crowd in my head was talking about the entire time. It's a good thing that I don't listen to them too often. I can laugh about it now.
-Gosh you are running slow
-You might just come in last at this pace
-Another hill
-This sucks without your GPS working
-I can't believe you signed up for this race
-You should just give up running after this race
-I can't believe you want to do another full marathon, that is not going to happen now
-Oh the heat, you plan to run a half marathon every month? How are you going to do it in the HEAT???
-Just slow down
-Maybe you should walk the rest
Before the race
(I was off on my time...oops. 1:57:41)
Overall, the race was well organized. This is part of the California Race Series. Another good thing about this race (Same company put on the Holly Jolly half marathon) we get FREE race photos. You get a 4x6 and a 5x8 for free. The medals are nice, not too cheap looking and the cost of the race is only $40. I have 3 other races to run to complete the California Race Series.
Next half marathon....Rock n' Roll Dallas with my sister.
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