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Yesterday I ran my fourth 5K! The Orange County Turkey Trot 5K had some issues -- it started late because there weren't enough porta-potties or people to check in morning-of registrants. I overheard that it was the first year of the race so it makes sense there would be kinks to iron out. All the volunteers and coordinators were very nice, too. It was a nice and flat out-and-back course with a medal at the end and lots of food and drinks, so I was happy with the race. And... I PR'd so I have nothing to complain about!
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| PR smiles |
I was dreading the race the night before. My parents and I went to see Aziz Ansari (he was fantastic -- really funny and insightful -- and the tickets were only $35, thank you, Orange County!) and we didn't get home till 11:30 p.m., which is after my bedtime on a normal night, let alone the night before a race. I was so tempted to bag the race entirely since my legs felt a bit sore and I knew I was coming off not a lot of sleep. And in all honesty, I wondered if I could hit a similar pace to my July 2013 PR (7:59 avg) and didn't want to run the race at all if I'd be way off.
But thankfully I didn't give in to my lazier/cowardly urges because the race went fantastically! I PR'd, I got to cheer my dad on through the finish line, and I had my mom and Mason there cheering.
I hate having much in my stomach for short runs, so all I ate was a tiny end-piece of bread with some almond butter and honey at about 7 a.m., an hour before the start, and a salted caramel Gu right before the start.
The course was an out-and-back that took us around the Irvine Valley College campus. There were quite a few kids running and one of the top 15 was an 8 year-old boy who ran a 19:18! The little girl running a 7:30 pace in front of me was my inspiration for the first two miles.
I've written before about the mental side of running, and while I didn't initially want to be running, I just refused to let that affect me mentally once I started. (It helped that it was only a 5K.) I kept my mental game very positive the whole time and focused on the fact that Tuesday I had just run six 800m repeats at a 7:00 pace. I thought of this as a longer version of that workout and it helped me push the pace.
Splits
(1) 7:44
(2) 7:55 <-- always the hardest mile for me in 5Ks
(3) 7:28
Finish Time -- 23:49
(The race started without much warning so I didn't start my Garmin right away and only have 3 miles of splits.)
I nearly threw up after crossing the finish line so I think that's a pretty good sign I ran the last mile hard.
Gear
Happy (belated) Thanksgiving, Americans! Hope everyone had a great day filled with fun, food, family, and friends.
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| The cheer squad |
I hate having much in my stomach for short runs, so all I ate was a tiny end-piece of bread with some almond butter and honey at about 7 a.m., an hour before the start, and a salted caramel Gu right before the start.
The course was an out-and-back that took us around the Irvine Valley College campus. There were quite a few kids running and one of the top 15 was an 8 year-old boy who ran a 19:18! The little girl running a 7:30 pace in front of me was my inspiration for the first two miles.
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| Irvine Valley Campus includes some pretty farmland that we raced around. |
I've written before about the mental side of running, and while I didn't initially want to be running, I just refused to let that affect me mentally once I started. (It helped that it was only a 5K.) I kept my mental game very positive the whole time and focused on the fact that Tuesday I had just run six 800m repeats at a 7:00 pace. I thought of this as a longer version of that workout and it helped me push the pace.
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| It was a gorgeous day for a 5K. |
Splits
(1) 7:44
(2) 7:55 <-- always the hardest mile for me in 5Ks
(3) 7:28
Finish Time -- 23:49
(The race started without much warning so I didn't start my Garmin right away and only have 3 miles of splits.)
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| "Can't-talk-about-to-puke" snapshot |
I nearly threw up after crossing the finish line so I think that's a pretty good sign I ran the last mile hard.
Gear
- Oiselle distance shorts
- My beloved Saucony Kinvara 4's
- Nike dri fit tank and sports bra
- Sparkly Soul thin headband
- Sunglasses I picked up for free from a Sweet'N Low booth two years ago and still feel guilty for wearing because Sweet'N Low is gross but they just work so well for running...
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| Mason had to be in every picture, obviously. |
Happy (belated) Thanksgiving, Americans! Hope everyone had a great day filled with fun, food, family, and friends.
Woohoo for a shiny new PR! Isn't it awesome when you can overcome the negative stuff and put forth a solid effort? Also so jealous you ran a turkey trot in nice weather--ours was moved from a cross-country course to a double out-and-back on the pavement due to snow. :-/ Hope you and the family had a great Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Carrie! It was actually a pretty hot day so I was glad it was early-ish. But even more glad there wasn't any snow! ;)
DeleteCongratulations!!
ReplyDeleteThanks :)
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