The Full Report - Spring Into Motion 5-Mile Race

I really didn't think I was going to do this race today. Gabe woke up at 2:30 this morning and would NOT go back to sleep. I think that he wasn't feeling great because he got his shots yesterday, and when he feels feverish, he doesn't get tired - he gets really hyper.

So, instead of fighting with him to go back to bed, I took him downstairs and let him watch two TV shows, and then we headed back up to bed at 4am. He was up for a while, though, and so was I. I finally drifted off around 5:30, and slept until 7:30.

So, although I slept a little later, I was still pretty beat this morning. But after a cup of coffee and a piece of banana bread, I felt like I did have it in me to get out and run, so I got my stuff together and headed down.

The weather was great, which was nice, because earlier in the morning, it had been pouring - and it rained again later this afternoon. But for the duration of the race, it was just cloudy and gray, and warm enough to wear shorts and a tank top! After doing all my winter 5Ks, it was nice to not be standing at the starting line shivering for a change.

It was a very small race - only 47 people total. Before the race, I met a new member of the running club. I was wearing my running club singlet, so she came over and introduced herself, and we chatted for a while before the start. Turns out she runs very close to my pace, so I think I'll definitely try to hook up with her for some weekend long runs.

We started off running through campus (most of the race was run on the URI campus), and started nice and flat. My first mile wasn't super speedy, though - I wanted to be especially conservative at the start, because I was feeling tired and rundown, and I knew I'd run out of steam if I started too fast. So I was glad to see Mile 1 come in at 8:22.

As for Mile 2 - I have no earthly explanation for how I maintained a 7:33 pace for this mile, because it contained the biggest hill I have ever run up in my life. It was BRUTAL. Long and steep. Ugh. I actually managed to pass a few people going up the hill, though, which was kind of cool. But it took me nearly half a mile to recover after getting to the top, which was reflected in my Mile 3 time of 8:32.

I was getting pretty tuckered out at this point, but there was a nice big downhill coming up, which helped me cover Mile 4 in just 6:35.

At this point I knew that the sub-40 was definitely a possibility, but I was really running out of steam. I did the best I could, though, and managed to run the final mile in exactly 8 minutes.

A good effort, but not quite good enough, as I crossed the finish line in 40:23.

But definitely a good effort, because I have never in my life felt so tired running a race, and really wasn't expecting to run that fast.

I was completely drained at the end, and couldn't have sprinted to the finish if I wanted to. Definitely not a strong finish, but after seeing Scott and the boys cheering for me, I finished with a smile on my face. Scott left a few minutes later to bring Dante for a haircut (will have to post pics of that later, since he looks ADORABLE!), and Gabe hung out with me for a little while, which was fun. The post-race food included donuts, which Gabe was pretty excited about : )

I do have to note, though, that my Garmin recorded the run as 5.14 miles, and I had a strong signal the entire time, so I have to wonder if the course was accurate ???? Hmmm.....

Either way, although I didn't reach my ultimate goal, I definitely ran a great race, and I'm pretty proud of myself.

The stats -

4th place in my age group (females, 20 - 39)
5th overall female (out of 16)
23rd overall finisher (out of 47)

Oh, and let's not forget that it was also a 5-mile PR for me - by a full three minutes : )

Comments

[Chad in the AZ Desert]

Awesome job with the race! That's a great time for 5 miles...especially with very little sleep.

Our boys get that way everytime they have shoots, too.

[Caroline]

When was the last time you updated the software on your garmin? That could give you some idea on how accurate it is. . .the longer its been since the last update, the "less" accurate it is.

What hill is the one you're referring to?? The one up Flagg Rd or the one up 138??

[J-mom]

Oohh sometimes that makes me crazy with the Garmin! Like that 5K that I did and they said I finished in like 28 min but it was way short! Grr!!

Congrats again on the race!

[Wes]

The Garmin is only accurate to within a certain number of feet. That little bit of error and standard deviation is what throws it off. Funny that Google Maps seems to validate the Garmin more often than not!

Great race, chica! Congrats on a super speedy 100% effort. You rock!! :-)

[Shawn]

Congrats on the PR! Great time! Yeah I know the hill you ran up and I wouldn't even walk up that hill while I was going to school there.