Yesterday I ran the 11th annual Susan G. Komen WV Race for the Cure here in Charleston. I ran this race last year, and it was my first 5k. This year, my goal was:
1. to PR (My previous 5k PR was the last 5k race I ran, the Turkey Trot, with a time of 31:45)
2. to finish in under 30 minutes.
However, last Wednesday I ran speed intervals on the treadmill and didn't use my knee sleeve. Thursday I ran an easy 2 miles, and my knee hurt pretty badly. I spent the rest of Thursday and Friday icing it every few hours, and my plan was somewhat derailed. I didn't want to hurt my knee in the 5k and risk not being able to run the Half Marathon (which is now less than a month away! EEK!), so my goal became to finish, run as much as I could, not kill myself, and walk if I needed to.
Friday night, Brad and I went out with some friends for happy hour and then dinner, but I made sure to drink a lot of water and only two beers so that I wouldn't be dehydrated for the race on Saturday. After the 5k, my HM training plan called for 6 more miles, which would not be fun hungover!
Saturday morning I woke up, had cereal and coffee, woke Brad up, and we went down to the Capitol grounds, where the festivities were in full swing (Brad was awesome enough to come with me to cheer me on! Thanks, B!). I wore my pink Nike Dri-Fit T-shirt, pink socks, and my pink Bondi band. I don't normally dress in all pink when I run, but at the Susan G Komen race, you stand out if you're NOT in pink!
I hung out with Brad for a while and then went to line up. I was so nervous! I always get pre-race jitters, even though I will never win a race in my life. Soon enough the horn sounded and everyone took off! The other runners and walkers fill both sides of Kanawha Boulevard. It's inspiring when 7000+ people come out to support a cause, especially to do something active.
I kept a good (for me) pace throughout, didn't have to stop to walk at all, and felt good! My knee didn't hurt and I thought maybe -- just maybe -- I would achieve my goal of under 30 minutes.
As I approached the finish line, I saw 30: on the clock. I was so close! But I picked up my pace to finish in under 31:00, and I made it! The official chip results aren't up yet, but I crossed the finish line, high-fiving Brad, just before the clock turned over to 31, so my time will be 30-something. I'm happy with that. Next time, under 30!
After the race, I went home, ate a bagel, and drove to the state forest for another 6 miles. It was a perfect day, the trails were in amazing condition, and I was happy to be able to run on them.
Week 4 Training:
Monday - yoga
Tuesday - 3 miles tempo
Wednesday - 3 miles intervals
Thursday - 2 miles easy
Friday - Blissful Rest
Saturday - 5k race + 6 miles
Sunday - rest -- sore legs!
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