Frozen Foot 5K #3

This was race #3 in the 5K series. The weather was the best of the 3 races. 40 degrees, with some sun and no wind! I felt like I had a chance to PR in this race, but alas, I was a little short of my goal (again). I think maybe the fact that this race takes place at 2pm is a factor in me not going as fast as I think I am capable of.  I had gotten up early for church, attended Mass at 9 am, then taught CCD class to 7 preschooler/kindergarten kids. At 12, I went home, grabbed a bagel, some Nuun, changed my clothes, and headed out the door for the 45 minute drive to Elizabethtown.  Not necessarily ideal race preparation, but it is only a 5K, right?
 I did my normal 1 mile warm up on the track adjacent to the race start, then lined up at 1:55. I chose to wear myLong-sleeved 50/50 green t-shirt from Oiselle (in honor of St. Patricks Day), my singlet, my new Bum Wrap,   plus a new pair of orange compression socks.  Quite the color combination! I was thrilled to wear the Bum Wrap. I have had it for a few weeks, and the weather has been so cold, I haven't had the opportunity to wear it.  Verdict: LOVE! I think it's going to be one of my favorites for spring/summer running.  Super comfortable and super cute!
  I felt pretty good for the first mile, doing well with the first long and substantial hill. First split was 7:49.  At 1.5 miles, my legs starting dragging. I was telling them to go faster and they were not responding.  I knew at that point it was going to be a struggle to continue at a good pace.  Mentally gave up for a while there, not counting on a PR for this race. Couple more hills, 2nd mile split 7:59. Somehow in the final mile I rallied a bit.  Just knowing it was almost over helped me to get through it. And a couple of little downhills! 3rd mile split: 7:30.  Pushed it out at the end (not the easiest since there is another incline right before the finish!). Time on my Garmin: 24:25. 5 seconds slower than last month's race, 16 seconds off PR.  UPDATE: 3/21: Found out I placed 4th in my Age Group for the Series. Pretty good. I'm going to aim to place higher next year!
 I was a little disappointed at the end, but pleased with myself that I was able to run the last mile the fastest.  Negative splitting is my goal in future races, so maybe someday I will actually figure out how to do that!
 Ran a mile on the track to cool down and then headed home.  Skipped the post-race food (chicken soup again), and opted instead to eat a Picky Bar on the way home.  Post race fuel of champions!
 I have decided that the next 5K I run will be a FLAT course.  Then I will actually have a chance of a PR.  Next race coming up is the Cherry Blossom 10 miler in DC on April 7.  Looking forward to an Oiselle Team meet up, and a fun race. Definitely feel like a have a PR in me, since I rarely race 10 miles.  Looking for a sub 1:30, which according to my recent training times, should be fairly easy. Bring on the Cherry Blossoms!