I hope everyone had a great fourth of July! Even though I hated that the holiday fell on a Wednesday this year, I'm realizing that it felt like the weekend but wasn't and now the weekend is only a day away, sweet. I kicked the day off early with my first not tired, hungover 5k!
I got to the Brighton Chamber of Commerce 4th of July 5K about 25 minutes before the 8am start. I'm so glad I picked up my race packet the day before because it saved me a lot of pre-race time... don't do it the day of, just don't. I did a quick warm-up by running around Brighton High School and doing some of my dynamic stretches before getting ready to get my run on. I was alone at the race so it was fun people watching beforehand. There were so many young kids with their friends and families, a lot of couples (so cute) and a lot of older people in great shape. I really hope I am still running and working out as much as some of the jacked ladies there when I get older. The race started right on time and we were off to a fast start! I was overwhelmed in the beginning at the fast pace but I let a lot of people pass me so I could run at my own speed. Besides, I figured a lot of people would fall back after going out so fast. The course was very flat (score) through a Brighton neighborhood. Some people were sitting outside their houses cheering us on which was fun! I ran at a quick pace for me but I kept it pretty consistent. I forget my splits (they're on my watch though) but my average pace was 8.13! I feel like I could have gone even faster if I had two things- a friend to run with and my ipod. I read that no headsets were allowed but people used them anyway so I could have brought mine. Sometimes you just need a good jam to motivate you though, you know? The weather didn't help either. While it wasn't too hot at 8am it was so humid and got up to the mid 90's later that day. I felt like I was going to puke right before the end of the course but I ended up being fine. I was glad I bought a handheld water bottle the day before to keep me hydrated and not publicly vomming. In the end I finished in 25.50 and ended up getting 11th in the 20-24 age group! I'm pretty happy with my time and am already itching to sign up for another 5k. I plan on doing a few more in the fall and maybe a 10K as well to help prepare myself for the Philly 1/2 in November. Racing also made me realize how much I miss competing since I quit swimming. I love working out for the health of it but I also love having something legitimate to train for.
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| Gettting the gear all ready the night before |
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| Necessary post-race, in front of tree solo shot |
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| Picture of me finishing taken by Julia (thanks for cheering me on!). Man in front of me looks quite exasperated |
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| Sweaty post-race selfie. |
Sorry for the super long, wordy post. If you've been contemplating a 5K or any race for that matter, I encourage you to sign up for one! Bring a friend, go alone, walk, run, the best thing about them is that you can take them as seriously or as casually as you want.
Liv
