5k Success

Well, I did it! Success is relative, and for me, just completing the race was success. It was my first ever (mostly) running 5k. I've walked a few before, but never run or been timed.

I think I chose the wrong race for my first 5k though - there were WAY too many people! I may have started too far back too. I was so annoyed at the beginning of the race, dodging walkers even from the start line, and all the way through the race! I was very surprised about that, because it's mostly runners in this race (or so I thought, since it's a chip-timed race).

I did have to stop and walk myself a couple times, to catch my breath. When I did, I would get over to the side and check behind me each time, so I wouldn't get run over or hold someone else up. I wish I w/could have kept running the whole thing.

I wasn't very pleased with my time. I think the fastest I'd run a single mile was 9:42, when I finished my first 10 weeks at Farrell's - although not realistic that I'd be able to keep that up for 3 miles. I did a training run of 3.2 miles in 34:30 (10:46/mile pace) two weeks ago. That was the last training run I did, not wanting to chance my shin giving me trouble again before the race. My official time was 35:20, an average of 11:22/mile. I was hoping for faster, but with the crowds and the heat, it wasn't to be.

My left shin felt fine during the race, but did start acting up yesterday afternoon. My other leg is fine though, so maybe I'll look at getting a different arch support in my left shoe. I do know that my left arch is low and my right is pretty average. That would be fun to get used to, having two different-sized arches in my shoes! :) But if it helps my shin to not hurt after I run, it'll be totally worth it.

<--- This was my friend Britta and I, as we watched a few of our friends come through the finish of the 20k - before our race. Thanks Britta for the encouragement - you did awesome in the 5k! Thanks Naphtali for the photo! Britta's and Naphtali's husbands and Jonathan and Sally rocked the 20k! And the encouragement of friends and doing it together is what made it so fun!

I do hope to run another 5k. Don't know when/where it'll be though. Who wants to do one with me???