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!

2013 Race #2: Frozen Foot 5K #2 Race Report

I love the Lux layer in Poppy! Perfect with the Oiselle singlet.

This was the 2nd race in a series of 3.  The final one will be March 17. The first one was on Jan.20, and I was recovering from having the flu and subsequent bronchitis.  The race was a tough one for me, so I was hoping that after one month of healthy running, I would fare better. I chose to wear my new Oiselle Lux layer in poppy color (LOVE !), my singlet on top and Lesley tights.  Because of the wind, I also wore a winter cap and gloves. 
  The weather was not the best, 25 degrees, with big gusts of wind and a wind chill that made the temperature feel like 15 degrees.  I headed to the race on my own, my family opting to stay home this time.  I arrived at the race 45 minutes before the start, picked up my number and timing chip and made a bathroom stop.  I relaxed for a few minutes, sipped on water and listened to music on my iPhone.  With 20 minutes before the race, I headed out for my warm up. Because the race starts at Elizabethtown College, there was a track next to where the race was starting. I decided to do 10 minutes of very easy warm up, with a couple strides thrown in at the end.  After a couple more sips of water, I headed to the start.  I felt great, and ready to go.  The wind was picking up, and I didn't want to wait around too long to start.
  And then we were off! The first mile is challenging, because there is a significant hill from .75 to 1.1 miles.  I was ready for it this time though, and my first mile split was 7:47.  At this time, snow flurries had started, and the wind was hitting us pretty hard.  I was grateful that this was only a 5K, and not a longer race.  The second mile had a couple of small hills, and I felt like we were running into the wind, so second split was 7:54.  I knew I had to pick it up in the last mile.  The last mile has a couple of good downhills, so I was able to pick up the pace, and completed mile #3 in 7:35.  I pushed it through the last .1 and my final time (according to my Garmin) was 24:23.  So close to a PR, but not quite! (my PR is 24:10, on a flat course).  This was still more than a minute faster than the 5K of last month, so I was happy with the result.  I know if I stay healthy I can beat my time next month. 
  After the race, I headed back to the track and did a nice slow cool down for one mile. Then inside the building to stretch and sip more water.  They had chicken soup for the runners, but since I don't eat meat, I did not partake in that.  Too bad, hot soup would have actually tasted pretty good.
So, headed home with a smile on my face.  Good improvement in the last month. I know a PR is in my near future.