This year I decided to run the little Bountiful Handcart Days 5K. I had no idea they had one there! I saw there was a 1/2 marathon or 5 K. I was literally one click away from choosing the half marathon, but decided to just do the 5K because I haven't been running as much with my triathlon training. Boy was I glad later that I didn't do the 1/2 marathon!
I couldn't get anyone to run it with me :( so I ran it myself, but Lane was nice enough to come support me! :)
Here's me getting in the "zone" before the race. You know this is very serious stuff - I totally want to win! (ha!) I really don't think that girl in front of me is picking her nose.
Obligatory (?) parking lot pre-race shot.
It was actually an easy course and run - EXCEPT for the little thing called ALTITUDE!! I was going to try to do an 8 minute mile, so basically run it in 24 minutes. I set my Garmin to pace me. I took off, and found some girls who are probably 20 years younger than me, and tried to keep up with them. I was running great the first 1 1/2 miles. Then we turned, and started gradually going up another road, then the last mile was a little of an incline to get back to where we started. I was still staying close to the girls ahead, but suddenly I started getting the worst burning in my sternum! Breathing was getting hard! What the heck is going on? I wondered. Seriously, I could go run 3 miles easy right now (although I do have a gut full of chips and salsa!) But, there is apparently an oxygen difference in being at sea level, or 4,000 feet. Boy did I feel it.
Oh well, I pushed on, just slowed down a touch, then sprinted as fast as I could to the finish line, and gasped for air at the end. I was bummed - I did it in 25 mins. Oh well, it was close. Turns out I took 2nd in my age group (translate - old ladies), 12th out of all the girls, and 46th overall. I think there were about 250 who ran. The girl who beat me in the old lady category ran it in 20 mins. and something. Wow. Then I realized she is the professional runner and triathlon coach whose website I looked at last year! I figure she should probably be really good. She actually took 2nd out of the women. Good for her - she kicked my butt - and I will never catch that!
Anyway, it was fun. Man - races are addicting. I love the challenge and having something to train for. Next is the Lake Powell Triathlon on October 23. I'm doing the Olympic one instead of a sprint. I'm nervous. Man - if anyone doesn't believe in peer pressure, just talk to me. It works. I never would have done this if my dang friends Beth and Lisa weren't doing it too, and I can't be shown up by them! No way! :) So, looks like I'll be doing a lot more training in the next few months.
1 comments:
OK, first off, happy late Birthday!! I hope you are feeling better and your family is out of the sick zone. Second, you should have called me for the 5k - I would have totally run it with you!! So, next time you're in Utah we will connect and plan our activities better . . . tennis and a race :-). I just ran my first 5k a few months ago - lucked out, it was pretty much all down hill after a hill at the beginning, but I WON the women's division - haha - only about 20 women, but it was SO much fun!
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