Super 5k - Novi, MI

First in Age Group! Yay! (7th or 8th overall, depending on which results page you look at *shrug*) Let's see, I predicted I'd finish sometime around 20:30 and I nailed 20:30 exactly on the dot. Too bad I don't gamble. I'm thinking - take off a few seconds for hills, a few more for slush and several more for the icy, 180 degree turn around and that gives me a good idea of where my fitness is and how hard I have to work to break 19:00 by the end of September. I can do it!

Splits:
6:26
6:41
6:40
0:41

Got to meet lots of cool people! Missed a few people I was hoping to meet! Saw lots of friends - many of whom were awesome enough to volunteer. Had a great time! I love racing!! :-)

"Morning After" Run and No T-Shirt Purchase Required!

Did a "morning after" easy run today. Morning after a tough 5K, that is. I did 8 easy miles and most of the time I was running very comfortably, as I should have been considering the race the previous evening. So mission accomplished! Fortunately, I felt not a single ache from the race the previous evening. So even though I pointed out how tough 5Ks are for me, there's one thing they have going for them - very quick recoveries!!

And here is more evidence of that "negative split mentality" my legs have in them with no help from the conscious part of my brain! Pretty cool, actually.

Splits:
8:32
8:12
8:11
8:03
7:57
7:48
7:42
7:39

Every mile felt the same.

There is one thing I forgot to mention about the 5K yesterday. One of the reasons I decided to run this race is that I didn't have to buy a t-shirt!!!! Yay! That saved me $7. Not much, but if all races had this option, it would sure add up! If there are any race directors reading this - make your shirts optional!! You just might find your races much more popular! It would sure make me take a second look at your race! I'm a racer, after all, not a t-shirt collector.

red tests her legs in two short races

I am now officially a 1 Miler and 5K-er. :-) I ran both of these races today for the first time. I realized quite quickly that I like distance better! haha!

Short races are tough! Have to run FAST, FAST, FAST the whole time! And then they went and threw some hills in that there 5K. That just wasn't nice. Someone even had the gall to spray paint a yellow smiley face half way up the side of one hill that was nearly a 45 degree angle. Actually, that made me laugh out loud. It was hilarious. It was an evil hill and needed some softening. The whole course was rough. About half of it was on the high school's cross country course. The rest was on a mixture of terrains such as concrete sidewalk, asphalt, wooded trail, track surface and even a small part on a corner of freshly plowed farm field - swear to god!! Someone had way too much fun designing that course. Ended up with a 21:55 which I thought was pretty darned good considering. Got 1st in my age group, 5th woman overall. Not a bad start to my 5K career. :-)

The 1 Mile race was more tame. It had several sharp turns, however, which slowed me down slightly, but NO GRASS like the 5K! I hate grass. It is the worst surface to run on! Finished in 6:12. Very happy with this! 1st in age group again and 2nd woman overall.

I talked to a gal after the race and she told me about a 5K in Flint this October that I so wish I could do! However, it is the day before the Brooksie Way Half Marathon, so it is a no-go. :-( Anyway, this race is called the UofM/MSU Tailgate Challenge. It is a 5K that takes place right before the Michigan/Michigan State football game - huge rivalry in this state, as you can imagine. Here's an excerpt from the race website:

"Don’t miss this opportunity to run for your favorite school before the big game. U of M supporters will run or walk counter-clockwise and MSU supporters will run or walk clockwise on the two loop course. There will be lots of opportunity to “razz” the other side. Great shirt with your school logo and awards in your school colors!"

Now that sounds like a COOL race! GO BLUE!!!!!!!!

What really cracked me up was the following, also from the race website:

"If you do not have a school preference, please indicate on entry and begin race with MSU supporters."

Whatsamatter, MSU, can't get enough people on your own? Gotta let the neutrals swell your ranks? hahahaha!!!!!!