Lemme start out this post and say 5K PR by, like, 5 minutes, and 4th place female finisher.
My best race placement and fastest race time ever!
Ok. I did this race last year and finished in 36:40. It was a non-chipped race and that is my garmin time.
Today was another non-chipped race like last year and my garmin time was 29:14.
I’ma take it because I ran with it.
So, I am still battling this cold that is now rattling ’round my lungs. My goal a week ago was to PR under 30 minutes here. I had no idea what my lungs and legs could do being sick and not running or working out all week. If I had to walk, I would walk. If I had to hack up a lung, by golly, I would hack up a lung.
The morning started out slow and relaxed. Coffee with toast and Justin’s PB and some Costco raspberry jelly. I wore pretty much the same thing as I did last year.
The BF wanted to leave the house at 10:30am. I wanted to be at the fairgrounds at 10:30am. Not slow and relaxed anymore! I kinda started freaking out by then when the race started at 11am and I had to still pick up my bib. By 10:43 I was in full out panic attack mode in the car, ready to hyperventilate and by 10:47am on the verge of tears. I was slightly relieved that there was such a small turnout congregating by the start line. I got my bib, which was another cardstock bib with the safety pins already in the corners. Shirt was another white cotton T (the BF don’t care, he likes white shirts and has been wearing my race shirt anyways) and the goody bag was another zippered tote filled with some paper adverts.
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| The whole race crowd. |
Got my bib on and to the start line with 5 minutes to spare. Warm-up. What warm-up? Wow, I was checking the crowd. Maybe 30 people there. (It was a good day to race this because the dog walk went on, the BSU game was on and Barber to Boise was all the same morning too) Told the BF that if I wasn’t so sick, I could win something. The ego booster that he is laughed and said I don’t have a chance. Well… I lined up at the start in the front. Quick little word about the course. Go to greenbelt, follow the orange cones, turn around at the cones after the bridge, which I think there were more orange cones this year then last, which was nice.
I started the race with the front speedies. I glanced at my watch and I noticed an 8 minute-something. Yikes, that is fast for me! But it felt good. I went with it to see how long I could hold it. There was one female in front of me and few males. I was trekking with a little dude, a 7 year old or something. I left him in the dust right around the first mile. After that, I got passed by another lady and lost sight of her. Ok, 3rd place female. I can deal with that. My lungs then started to hurt. I had to cough, all that nasty, thick phlegm in there. My legs started slowing down. I was only concerned about the under 30minute finish time. I was doing some math to see if I can slow down and still get it, but my lungs were not happy. The mucus was thick in the back of my throat. It was hard to breathe. My mouth was dry and coated with ick. Couldn’t swallow it, couldn’t sniff it up, couldn’t spit it out, it was uncomfortable. At the turnaround, I stopped to walk to try to spit some of the junk out. Yeah. It was thick and nasty and had to wipe it from my mouth. Thankfully I didn’t shake anyone’s hand after.
Right after the 2 mile point, I heard footsteps behind me. Oh. It was a little 8year old girl running in Vans and long jean pants. Nice. Do I let her get 3rd place female, or do I grab her ponytail and push her into the bushes. I looked at my watch. Just over 10min/mile. Hmmm. Get that to 9:XX and I will be at a big PR.
I spend that last mile thinking about what to do. Let the little girl place, or do I place myself? 9:59. 9:58. What do I do? She kept looking back at me and was only 15 seconds ahead, maybe. Oh, there is a penny on the ground. Can’t stop to pick it up, so I let the little girl place.
Grumble. I always pick up every penny I find.
I don’t know if I made the right decision but it is the one that I made. I could have kicked it a little faster. My legs felt so awesome. But my lungs were really hating me at the end. I grabbed my bottle of water and granola bar and had to sit and let my lungs finish their spasming. I had to walk away from the little 3rd place girl and her 3rd place female prize.
I was jealous of a little girl!
But I did make my under 30 minute 5K time! Booyah!
My garmin distance is never accurate, but the time always is.
This race isn’t fancy. Not much goodies before or after. Even less this year then last. No chip timing, but this race does benefit a good cause. And it is a whole lot smaller and cheaper then other 5K races. I like that 11am start time.
What would you do? Let the little girl place like I did, or push past her to get your first race placement?