Run Around the Lakes 5k Recap 6.22.2013

The night before the Inaugural Run Around the Lakes 5k, I realized I was nervous and a bit anxious. For the past two years, all my 5ks had been run while pushing two little girls, unless the 5k was at then end of a swim and bike. The Run Around the Lakes would be the first time I ran without a stroller and it would be the first time my 4-year-old raced in her first 1 mile Fun Run.

We got off to a pretty easy start on race day. In true skirt day = run day fashion, my munchkins picked out pink tutus and running shoes for race day. The race location was 25 minutes away; with an 8:00 1 Mile Fun Run start and 9:00 5k start we had plenty of time to get there and situate ourselves. Tallahassee mornings in June are warm and humid, and today was no different.

1 Mile Fun Run

Run Around the Lakes 012

As 8:00 a.m. drew near, Munchkin #1 lined up with daddy at the back of the pack. I think I was more nervous than her and just hoped that she would finish, that she would finish happy, even if that meant daddy would be carrying her. There were about 30 racers, and my little munchkin was definitely one of the youngest. When the horn went off, Munchkin #1 took off running while holding daddy’s hand. The 1 Mile Run course was cut a bit short and went around the block, up a hill, through some obstacles, and sprinklers and then back through the start area. The big kids came through the finish line and a few minutes later the smaller kids started to come through. Just about the 9 minute mark, I saw Munchkin #1 rounding the finish line, holding daddy’s hand, still running with a big smile on her face. I am mighty proud of my 4-year-old for running her first Fun Run.

Run Around the Lakes 5k

Admittedly, I was pretty nervous about this run, which was an unusual feeling for me and perhaps why I like the half marathon distance so much more. There is a very different mentality when running 13.1 miles than running 3.1 miles. I don’t know what it’s like to run 26.2 since I am still only half (marathon) crazy. I also knew I would be shooting for a new PR, which I had not trained enough for.

When the runners were called up to the start I, it felt a little strange to not be at the very back of the pack with a stroller. Easing up to the front felt like being in a whole new world, and a little like I didn’t belong. With my iShuffle playing and my GPS set I was good to go and wasn’t fumbling at the very last second, which is normally the case. When the horn went off, I tried to concentrate on breathing and to not start off too fast, which I failed miserably at. The 5k course was an out and back course over rolling hills.

My first mile felt great, but I did feel a cramp, or a stitch in my side as some would say, right underneath my right rib cage. I had to slow down going into the second mile and slowing down meant getting passed by several people. As I rounded the turn around, I began to think about all those rolling hills I had run back through. I was also passed by a gal in red with long red hair in a pony tail, aka “Red.” By the time I got to mile 3, I knew the cramp was there to stay and I was starting to wish I had many more miles to run because that would give me time to run through the cramp. I didn’t have time, I only had a mile left and Red was starting to pull further and further away.

The cramp definitely slowed me down and I didn’t dare look at my GPS because I knew I would be discouraged. The last quarter-mile, Red slowed to a walk and I was able to make up some ground. As we circled around the last .10 a mile another gal came from behind me and I couldn’t believe I getting passed again. At this point I realized… oh yeah, it’s time to sprint…. there’s the finish line…. this was actually one of the first times in a long time I remembered to kick it up at the finish. I passed both gals coming into the chute and beat out Red by :02 seconds and the other gal by :04 seconds, not that they were racing me. I did set a new PR, but I know I am faster and am still wavering about trying to set a faster 5k PR or focus on endurance building.