Quick update on the race....
I was nervous, and there was definitely adrenaline going.
Also, the miles were not clearly marked, there was no clock at the mile markers to tell me what my splits were, and I did have my watch but didn't know how far in I was because I missed the mile 1 marker altogether.
In fact, I was very disheartened the first part of my race when I looked down at my watch and saw that 9 minutes had passed and I didn't see a 1 mile marker! I felt my body tire, and I was so afraid I wouldn't make it for just a split second, I almost thought about giving up and trying this again some other time.
So, after all this, you might be wondering how I did...
I obtained a new personal record: 3.1 miles in 23:40. That is a 7:38 pace. That's faster than I thought I could even run ONE mile, let alone 3.1! I don't know WHAT happened. The turnaround at 1.5 miles was a turning point for me when I looked down at my watch and saw that only 12 minutes had gone by. And when I saw the finish line at the end of the race and looked down at my watch, I thought for a minute that they had miscalculated the race distance. I was passing people left and right especially towards the end, and I finished with my traditional sprint.
My boyfriend was running with me (though not at my side). It was his 2nd 5K ever, and he finished in an amazing time-- 26 minutes! At the pace I had set as my goal, and he wasn't even doing it for time. :) I gave him a high five after the turnaround when we passed each other, which also lifted my spirits as I imagined how proud he would be of me. I was there for him also when he approached the finish line, and was cheering for him at the finish. I was so happy he was there for this moment, plus it's almost our two-year anniversary and two years of long distance is tough. A lot like running a race.
Despite the uncertainty in the beginning of this 5k, I kept going as fast as I could and at the end, it hurt a lot. I was huffing and puffing, and tried to block out the pain. The last mile was the worst, as I kept trying to find the bridge that we crossed in the beginning as my "sprint point." I told myself, "you knew this wouldn't be easy, you knew there would be pain."
But it was all worth it when I crossed the finish with my time. I have never run a 5K that fast before. It's always been, when I've tried my hardest!, 27 minutes-ish at best.
So this blew my mind. Thank you everyone for your encouragement. I thought of each one of you the whole way, and I truly couldn't have done it without you.
Also, the miles were not clearly marked, there was no clock at the mile markers to tell me what my splits were, and I did have my watch but didn't know how far in I was because I missed the mile 1 marker altogether.
In fact, I was very disheartened the first part of my race when I looked down at my watch and saw that 9 minutes had passed and I didn't see a 1 mile marker! I felt my body tire, and I was so afraid I wouldn't make it for just a split second, I almost thought about giving up and trying this again some other time.
So, after all this, you might be wondering how I did...
I obtained a new personal record: 3.1 miles in 23:40. That is a 7:38 pace. That's faster than I thought I could even run ONE mile, let alone 3.1! I don't know WHAT happened. The turnaround at 1.5 miles was a turning point for me when I looked down at my watch and saw that only 12 minutes had gone by. And when I saw the finish line at the end of the race and looked down at my watch, I thought for a minute that they had miscalculated the race distance. I was passing people left and right especially towards the end, and I finished with my traditional sprint.
My boyfriend was running with me (though not at my side). It was his 2nd 5K ever, and he finished in an amazing time-- 26 minutes! At the pace I had set as my goal, and he wasn't even doing it for time. :) I gave him a high five after the turnaround when we passed each other, which also lifted my spirits as I imagined how proud he would be of me. I was there for him also when he approached the finish line, and was cheering for him at the finish. I was so happy he was there for this moment, plus it's almost our two-year anniversary and two years of long distance is tough. A lot like running a race.
Despite the uncertainty in the beginning of this 5k, I kept going as fast as I could and at the end, it hurt a lot. I was huffing and puffing, and tried to block out the pain. The last mile was the worst, as I kept trying to find the bridge that we crossed in the beginning as my "sprint point." I told myself, "you knew this wouldn't be easy, you knew there would be pain."
But it was all worth it when I crossed the finish with my time. I have never run a 5K that fast before. It's always been, when I've tried my hardest!, 27 minutes-ish at best.
So this blew my mind. Thank you everyone for your encouragement. I thought of each one of you the whole way, and I truly couldn't have done it without you.
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