Last Sunday, I ran a 3.5 mile road race I’ve done several times before. The Santa’s Run is a town tradition, and during the race, it’s guaranteed that I’ll see many a person I know. In fact, my friends Mollie and Angie literally pulled up right next to me after I parked, out of total coincidence! I was excited to run this race because it was the first time I was doing so in a good athletic condition. It used to be the Santa’s Run was my one workout of the month, back when I loathed working out and anything to do with moving. I made a decision the night before to try to run it quickly and achieve a PR. With good lucks from Twitter, I set out to the race, doubtful about my goals since my hamstrings and glutes were at their tightest.
The costume contest, and costumes in general, are a big part of the race and make running it a lot more fun and entertaining for both spectators and runners. I’ve never really dressed up before, but I do enjoy checking out what people are wearing!
I thought this headband was so clever!
I started with Mollie and Angie, who pointed out that we were lined up in the “serious runner” section. Just what I needed to motivate me! We started, and I took off. Immediately I felt great. I bounded ahead, and eventually passed my dad with a happy wave.
I was still feeling great after mile 1. When I passed mile 2, the timer called out that it had been 15 minutes. I got so excited – I was more than halfway through, and I knew if I could pick up the pace for the last 1.5 miles, a PR was in sight!
I started picking out runners to try to beat. My sister did that during the Manchester Road Race and she said it worked well, so I decided to try her tactic. It definitely helped – I even became locked in a “battle” of sorts with a man and his son. They could tell I was trying to beat them and picked up their pace every time I began to pass. Eventually they overtook me, but I was still grateful for the push they gave me.
As I rounded the last corner, I could see the finish line and the large timer. An announcer called out “28 minutes!”, and I began to sprint. I wasn’t going to let myself come in a second over 30 minutes.
I crossed the finish line at 29:03 – a new PR achieved! That comes out to an average pace of 8:16 miles!
I attribute the fact that I achieved a PR, despite the fact that I haven’t run outside since August, to regular cardio and strength training workouts that have kept my heart and legs strong. I also had a banana on my way to the race – bananas ALWAYS fuel my workouts best. And I’m sure my HELLO LADY t-shirt from the Elvis Duran Show brought me luck!
I am still so proud of my achievement! I don’t have the passion for running to train for future specific races, but I hope to keep signing up for the occasional race to see what I can do. Who knows, maybe I will bite the bullet and train for a half marathon someday. I have always wanted to finish one!
What was the last fitness related goal you achieved? What is your 5K PR?
