Before all of the pretty snow, let’s go back to Saturday’s race. The Cantrell Center 5K. We got up Saturday morning and met up with our usual race crew, me, Chuck, my Mom, and Tim…. Drove the 10 whole minutes to the Cantrell Center (love a close race!) and picked up our packets quickly and easily. I was in a good mood to start with for a change. It was my first race in 3 weeks that my nose wasn’t running like a faucet. Oh yes, cold is gone!
We had driven the course on Friday, and our friends (Jenny & Bug) ran the course a few times in the last few weeks. They said that the course was a little hilly so we were prepared for what was to come.
The race started, and I felt pretty darn good. I didn’t have any specific time in mind. I really just wanted to do better than I did last weekend at Al Toll (26:08). I figured that would be do-able since the first mile and a half wasn’t a super sucky hill. Once I got running good, at about a half mile into the race I could tell I had a pretty good stride going on. I took a few glimpse of the Garmin and was hanging around 7:40ish min mile pace. I was happy with that so I focused on maintaining the pace there. Even over the hills, then the last part of the race, when my chest was burning and I’d liked to have slowed down, I kept my pace as best I could… and ended up being quite happy with my finishing time. My Garmin said 25:24, I think that’s what the time clock said too, but you know how it’s easy to forget after you come through the finish line… It also measured the course at 3.18. I’ll break down my mile splits cause I’m a dork like that.
1 – (7:49) 2 – (7:57) 3 – (8:17) .10 – (1:19)
P.S. I don’t like the finishing line to be around a turn… would rather sprint straight in…
So, I was pleased with my time and the race overall. I didn’t PR, but I did for this year. Chuck & my Mom PR’d. Chuck came in under 27 for the first time (26:56?) and my Mom was right behind me in the 25’s I think… Not sure. Oh, and Chuck ran his PR 5K on 3 hours of sleep. He has been working nights so it has screwed up his sleeping schedule : (
Of course the rain and cold weather came in afterwards. But we stuck around. My Mom placed 1st in her age group! Oh yeah, Go Her!!! Wooooo Hoooooo. I’m proud of her.
Here is a goofy sideways picture of me and the CFA Cow.....
Mom and I went to lunch at O’Charley’s after the race. I had a huge chicken salad. YUM. We didn’t do much else for the rest of the day.
Sunday… we all know about the snow. Chuck and I decided to run in the snow. Our thoughts were… are we ever going to have an opportunity to run in the snow again? We bundled up and ran around the apartment complex in the pretty (cold wet slushy) snow for 3 miles and smiled and giggled about it most of the time.
Afterwards we treated ourselves to Pizza and Wings @ Meldino’s. I only ate 3 wings and 3 slices of pizza. I didn’t have ANY beer. Oh yeah, I was a good girl… and that was my treat of the week. Not bad.
Yesterday we ran a 7.5 mile VERY HILLY course out in Byron. I mean hilly. At about mile 1.5 there starts a series of 3 hills, the last hill being a half a mile long and VERY VERY steep. After the 3 hills you run out to total of about 3.8 mi. and turn around and go back, only to run the HILLS again! OH MY. They are a biotch! But check this out. The last time I ran the exact same course I finished in 1:17:37, but yesterday I had magic legs and finished it in 1:09:31. I’m super pumped up about that. I felt strong and fast the whole way back. Usually on the way back on the hills I want to die. Not yesterday.
Now it’s back to work. Normal day at the office. I’m gonna run tonight on the treadmill. Then I have 2 days of rest ahead of me. I Plan on running a very easy 3 on Friday morning. The Geico 12K on Saturday is next on our schedule. I’m looking forward to that race, I always enjoy it.
Happy Running!!!!!!
Run Baby Run!!! You go girl!
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