Freedom Isn't Free 5k



Well that kinda sucked...
I learned my lesson never to go out with friends the night before a race. Bad idea.
I ate a good filling breakfast after a 4 hour nap.. and tried shaking off the hangover. I was feeling better by 10am. Thank goodness the start time was at 11 :)



mmm... Hot Chocolate and an egg McMuffin

The course was flat and easy, go out west, loop around a small park and back. Simple. Ha... As soon as the runners when out, I knew my body was not prepared to sprint off the start line, but I did and clocked my first mile at 7:10ish. eek. Not good, too fast for what I had in mind. My stomach felt it. Other runners always say, don't go out too fast on the first mile, it's going to bite you in the ass later. And it did. Second and third mile was def slower.

A 5k is way different than a half marathon, which is what I've been doing all summer. I registered a few days before the race, and had not been thinking "short=super kenyan fast". I guess the short distance messed with my head and so did the speed. The first half, I felt my form was all over the place, dunno if it was just me.
I didn't even have it in me to sprint when I saw the finish line. I saw the clock at mile 3, showing 22:30something... I kissed my sub 23 goodbye. I was not about to puke. lol so I just kept running at my pace.

Finish Time 23:51
1st Place F 20-24
9th/242 Female

Pros: -11am start
-burgers and hot dogs afterwards
-very well organized race (~400 runners)
-great cause (all proceeds went to the Cpl. Conner Lowry Memorial Scholarship Fund at Brother Rice High School)
Cons: none :)

Good race, not gonna complain. I am now anxious to run another one. Soon.
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5k Recap - JV

Pre-Race

Our first “official” 5k race. We both have ran 10ks, 15ks, half marathons, 20 milers, and even a marathon, but we never found the time to squeeze in a 5k race. We were both really excited until race day finally came. We were sleep deprived, nervous, cold, and had terrible headaches. Nevertheless, we somehow managed to arrive at Brother Rice High School with hopes of meeting our expected finishing time (my goal 18:45+something, Luz’s goal 23 something). We picked up our packets at the race and ran back to the car. From there we can see the Marines putting on a show for everyone. People were gathering around the tents and booths that they had set up. We can also see the people that were lining up at the start line. We chose to wait inside the car until it was time for us to go to the starting line. As we saw more and more runners arriving, we started to get more nervous and excited at the same time. We just wanted to get it over with already!

Race:

10 second count down! Luz and I wished each other good luck and we were off!

All the runners rushed passed one another in hope of being the first one to cross the finish line. With all the excitement of the race starting, I didn’t notice that I was going a bit too fast than what I was supposed to go. First mile was done at 5:58. I tried to keep that pace for the next two miles, but I found it harder to keep as the race went on. By now, there were only two runners ahead of me so I felt pressured to keep close to them, but they slowly got further and further from me. Second mile was done by 12:30ish. By the second mile a few runners passed me up. I didn’t let it discourage me because I still thought I could meet my goal time. By the time mile 3 came long I just wanted to finish already. I looked up at the clock and it said 19:20ish. I missed my goal, but I still wanted to finish strong. With the finish line getting closer and closer, I finished with a sprint and a time of 20:04. Not bad for being sleep deprived and not preparing mentally .

Post-Race:

At the end of the race, we just wanted to eat so we went to the cafeteria and got free burgers and hot dogs for all the runners. That is when we found out Luz got first place in 20/24 female group!! She also got this cool medal that was engraved. I'm so proud of her !! Wohooo!!

We both liked the race a lot. Definitely doing it again next year. We liked that the race took place on the streets. Each mile marker had a clock displaying the time. There were some supporters along the route. There were some volunteers along the route giving water/Gatorade. It was timed using B-tag chip and who doesn’t love free food!? The whole race was a great experience for both of us. Even though I didn’t meet my goal, I now know where I stand and know what I need to do for my next 5k race. Hopefully I meet my goal next time with what I learned from this race.


McSpeedy & I

JV @ the start line