Big Game 5k Recap

You've probably already heard about my crazy PR on Sunday during the Big Game 5k.

Official Time - 26:33

37th out of 285 runners

I'm still in a little bit of shock.

So, you know how the story ends, but I'm sure you want to know the whole story, right?!

We opted to do packet pick-up the morning of the race, and I didn't want us to struggle to find parking, so George picked me up around 6:30AM.

Turns out that gave us PLENTY of time. We got a cherry parking spot, picked up our bibs, shirts, and packets, and were back at his car by 7:10. Oops! Race wasn't supposed to start until 8:15 for the 5K, so we had a LOT of time to kill.

It was a little chilly for us Las Vegans (I'm talking high 40s, low 50s), so we hung out in his car - staying warm and talking about our upcoming races.

We decided to head to the start around 8AM, and it's a good thing that we did because they pulled the trigger on the 5K nearly 10 minutes early. Yikes!

Needless to say, I wasn't ready.

My apps weren't open. My music wasn't selected.

So, I kind of had to go on the fly.

My 'A' goal for the race was a sub-30:00; George was hoping for around 27:00, so he shot off ahead of me. While I tried to get my shit together.

And then I just ran. 

I didn't feel like I was going particularly fast. I remember thinking. Ooh, you started out too fast! You'll never keep this up.

My phone chimed 8:22 for the first mile.

I was just enjoying the music and the race. I didn't really do the math to see how fast that would put me if I continued at that pace.

I figured I had a little wiggle room, since the first mile was so speedy.

And then the 2nd mile chimed 16:xx. Is this possible?

I just kept running.

Not sure when, but at one point my RockMyRun mix ended, and there was silence. It didn't seem like another mix was starting. Since I hadn't been prepared at the beginning, I hadn't checked my music settings, so I popped my phone out of my FlipBelt to see what was happening. And then the music started again. Yay!

I passed the Mile 3 marker with the finish nowhere in sight. I figured the marker must be off, so I dug out my phone again to see what my Nike Plus app said the distance was. 2.86. I just kept my phone out at that point - to immediately stop it as I crossed the finish line.

I could feel myself slowing down - especially with all the phone fumbling.

Keep going!

As I rounded the corner to the final stretch, I lengthened my stride, bolted to the finish, and hit pause on my app.

I was greeted with a tiny cup of water and my little football medal.

My Nike app said 26:25 for the 5K.

It didn't really hit me just how fast that was. Or that it kind of blew my previous PR (27:09) out of the water.

I had felt so good during the race. Sure, there were a couple times when I felt weak and out of breath, but my legs felt pretty incredible the entire time.

George's unofficial time was around 25:30. He seemed kind of bummed that he didn't get a sub-25:00, which he wasn't even trying for, necessarily.

There were a couple of tables at the end of the race, where you could sign up to win a TV, spin wheels for prizes, and get more info on some of the sponsors. We stopped by each one, browsed a little, and then headed back to the car.

I'm just now realizing that there wasn't any food at the end of the race.

Yeah, that's how in shock I was over how fast I'd run.

It wasn't until I was back at home, and Jeff asked me how it went, that it really sunk in.

So, we headed to our patio to take some jumping shots. Cuz isn't that how everyone celebrates a huge running victory?!

Have you ever totally surprised yourself with an unexpected PR?
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