Race for the Cure 5K

This past Monday, I received an email at work asking people to sign up for Race for the Cure on Saturday.

Yes, please! Sign me up!!

The timing was perfect, of course, to count for my 5th #5bythe5th virtual race. Sweet!!

I somehow convinced Jeff to ride with me to the race, and then just walk around or hang out while I ran. I always forget how much he dislikes going to races with me - especially so early in the morning - but we managed to leave with plenty of time to bike downtown.

It was a beautiful morning, and we found a relatively quiet route to get to the race. Bonus that some of our route was also the race route, so the streets were already closed. :)

We found a great bike rack to lock up our bikes.

I loved this sign above the rack.

After getting our bikes all nice and secured, we headed toward the start line. Of course, I had to stop at the port-a-jane. :-)

These weren't nearly as nice as the Eco Commodes at RagnarZion, but they did flush and had plenty of hand sanitizer. Score!

The actual start line was still a few blocks away, so Jeff and I parted ways. He went to go wait by our bikes and the finish line, and I continued to the start.

There was also a 1-mile walk option, and I loved how they had separate starting shoots for the runners and the walkers.

Now the actual race was HARD for me. I didn't exactly set myself up for success. I hardly ate anything for dinner last night and stayed up WAY too late for how early I knew I'd have to get up. To top it all off, I didn't have much for breakfast either.

{TMI warning!} When the race started, I immediately knew I'd chosen the wrong bra. My boobs hurt with every step. Ugh! But then, I reminded myself that the pain/discomfort I was feeling would be mild compared to those who have had to suffer through breast cancer.

For some reason, this thought plus all the signs pinned to runners' backs of who they were running in honor of really made for an emotional start.

The first 5 or so minutes were a little agonizing. I felt like I was really pushing it. I started pacing with another runner until the first mile, and that helped a lot. She was going the perfect pace - until she stopped for some water.

So many times (yes, even before the first mile) I wanted to stop and walk for a bit, but kept telling myself it was only 3.1 miles. I COULD DO THIS!

I hit the split button on my watch as I passed the 1 mile marker. 8:47. Wow. I was impressed. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep up that pace the entire time, but I just didn't want to walk.

I never ended up seeing the 2 mile marker, so I don't know what the rest of my splits were, but my overall time was 27:40. It's definitely not where I want to be, but I was able to push it at the end.

Now, it's definitely time to concentrate on some speed work. I mean I don't see how I'll possibly beat my goal of a sub-25 without some serious refocusing.

I was breathing so hard after crossing the finish line that it took a bit to pull myself together. I grabbed a bottle of water and headed to the finish line goodies.

I got a great Trader Joe's reusable bag, a fruit smoothie, orange, Fuji apple (my favorite), and a banana! So much yummy fruit. We walked around a bit, and Bahama Breeze was giving out cups of fruit as well. Whoo hoo!!

While I really loved getting all the fruit, I would have liked some bread or something salty. That's such a minor complaint, though. Overall, I was really impressed with the organization of the race. There were lots of water stops throughout the course. Though I did run through each of them, it was nice to know they were there for those who needed them. For as many people as were at the event, there wasn't really too much congestion. Yay!!

This race was a great start to my weekend. It kind of made for a lazy afternoon, but that's okay. Next week, I hit the treadmill or find an outdoor track to use, so I can ramp up my speed work. Wish me luck!!

What are you doing this weekend?
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