My dad and I ran our first race of the season on February 12. The race was called Cupids Chase, money raised went to support people with disabilities. I ran my fastest 5k ever which was a great way to start the season, below is a recap of the race.
The race took place in a park in Binghmaton which is only about a 45 minute drive from where I live. We got to the park a little after 9:00 to pick up our race packets and goody bag. Our pre race goodies consisted of a lightweight shoulder bag, long sleeved t-shirt, a water bottle, instant hand warmers, and snacks (not bad for a $20 entry fee). I think every runner there appreciated the hand warmers, they were such a great idea since it was freezing that morning. I ran with them in my gloves then had them in my socks for a few hours after the race.
Before the race I went through my usual pre-race routine. I ate a banana and bagel and had some coffee. Then I warmed up with a quick jog to the restroom, got stretched out and waited for the race to start. We headed to the start line with about 5 minutes to spare.
Before the race I went through my usual pre-race routine. I ate a banana and bagel and had some coffee. Then I warmed up with a quick jog to the restroom, got stretched out and waited for the race to start. We headed to the start line with about 5 minutes to spare.
I usually line up about middle of the pack since that works best for my pace. However, there was only a small group of runners so my dad and I decided take advantage of the smaller group and see what it was like to line up in the front (as in the very front, right on the starting line). We also thought there may be a picture of the starting line published in the newspaper and it would be cool to be in the picture (sadly, the race wasn’t reported in the paper). A minute before the race started I realized that I had no idea what the course was like so I went and found a volunteer to ask. The volunteer had watched me walk to him from my place on the front of the starting line. He showed me a map and made sure I understood it. I'm sure he expected me to be leading the race the way he was explaining things to me. In reality I had no intention of leading anything, I jst wanted to have an idea of where I was along the course. When the race started and I sprinted for about 100 yards to keep up with the front of the pack. Then I came to my senses and backed down. It was the most glorious race start I've ever had too bad it couldn't last longer.
The course was nice, very flat and fully contained within the park. There weren’t any mile markers so we had no idea how fast we were running. I kept up with my dad for about half of the race then he pulled ahead like he usually does (that fucker). My dad likes to remind me that he can run faster than me. I don’t really mind because I just remind myself that he can’t run anything longer than 10 miles. He can run fast but I can run further.
Anyways, I guess all the swimming, biking, and running I’ve been doing is working because I had a PR for the race; 3.2 miles in 25 minutes. Maybe I just ran fast because I was cold, or maybe lining up in the front did something for my psyche. I’m usually a solid 9:00 min/miler so I was happy with the time. We didn’t hang around long after the race. We snapped a few pictures and were quickly handed our coats thanks to our always reliable pit crew, Mr. Greg Teeter.
The race was a nice way to start this year. It was nice to be able to see myself make some early progress. We’ve got two more short races coming up; both are St. Patrick’s 4 mile runs in early March. I'm hoping I can keep the progress up.