a RACE REPORT!!!

No, your eyes are not deceiving you.

I have a RACE REPORT!

Like, really!

Not just a training report, or a report of JayZ, or some other random stuff.

I RACED! I RACED! YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

(so I'm a little excited)

Okay, so I decided to do this 5K, even though I'm usually SOOOO not a 5K fan. The school district with the most people there gets $5,000 to better their physical fitness program, and that rocks. So, I figured, I might as well. Even if I walked it, it would be good for our school, you know?

Now, I had NOOOOO idea what to expect in this race. Let's list the reasons why:

1. I haven't RACED at all since 2006.

2. I haven't RACED a 5K since November of 2006.

3. I haven't done track work or speedwork (minus a few tempo runs) since (and I'm not kidding here) JUNE of 2006.

4. I OBLITERATED my core during the year 2007. Seriously. The 55 pounds I gained are gone, but I am, uh...still a little soft and mushy all around. (Yeah, I know. Nice visual, huh?)

So, of course, in Competitive Sara's head, a PR would be nice (which is anything under a 7:39/mile) but realistically I was hoping to hold more of a tempo pace, which would be a 7:50/mile. That would still push me hard and I would call that a victory.

But really, who the heck knows what this body was going to do? I had no clue.

And I was so giddy at the start line! I felt like a kid on Christmas. My good buddy Allenjel was there and I'm so excited to see her kicking so much butt and getting super fast! I thought if I could keep her in my sight the first mile or two I'd be in good shape.

Let's set the scene: 42 degrees, light winds, and what my buddy Canada Jenn likes to describe as "piss raining." What a wonderful day to race!

The only black shorts that were clean were the shorts I wore for my first marathon when I was about 30 pounds heavier, so I think I looked a bit ridiculous. Oh well! At least they were comfortable, right?

So the gun went off and I took off. HOLY SMOKES. My body was giving me a big WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON and my mind was like, SHUT UP, DUDE, JUST GO!

I checked Garmin around the first half mile, and was running at a 6:28 pace.

AGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Miss Six is back! But I really have no business seeing her today. I knew I was in for it later!

(I swear, a year and a half off racing and I make the same freakin' pacing mistakes. Some things never change!)

So I tried to slow way down....tempo run, self...tempo run...Their Mile 1 marker was a little short so I tried to go more by my Garmin. I hit the first mile in somewhere about 7:20, so that was good.

Mile 2 I felt a little slower. I tried to just remember that I can do this, and there's no reason for me NOT to be able to hold a tempo pace today. When I finished mile 2, my average had gone to around 7:38. (And that's when a teensy voice in my head said, "Hmmmmmm....PR, perhaps?") But I knew differently! That last mile always seems to kill me.

I got in a footrace at the end with a girl who was, like, 11. I sort of felt a little bad trying to beat her and let her have the last step or two. (She's 11! She deserves it more than me. Seriously.) I patted her on the back and told her "Nice kick!" Man, when I was 11, I thought running around the BLOCK was far. I love seeing kids race!

So here's the exciting part.

I didn't PR, which, of course, I really shouldn't be surprised about.

But my average pace (according to my Garmin) was 7:49!

For 3.1 miles.

With no speedwork.

And no racing in a year and a half.

And a mushy midsection.

Which, my friends, means I was only 10 seconds or so per mile off my PR that I set back in 2003!

Yahoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

So, that's what I call a victory. :)

Hopefully my school district will win 5 G's. That would rock! I also got to see Bloggister and Rootsrunner at the end, and Allenjel kicked major butt and placed in our age group! So all around, a wonderful day for a race.

Now, bring on the long course stuff! But maybe another 5K sometime...now, Competitive Sara is just getting curious about what she can really do. :)

______________________

UPDATE!

They posted the race results...turns out they had me at a 24:02, which is a 7:45/mile pace. I'll take it! I forgot to hit my Garmin at the end (typical) so I like theirs better. :) They also had the most interesting slaughtering of my last name I think I've ever seen....almost as good as the "Sara Avacado" swim ribbon I have from 4th grade. I love it! What I don't love, however, is the fact that I missed 3rd in my age group by FIVE SECONDS! Boooooo! Poop sandwich. Oh well--that's what I get for not catching her! :)



Here's me and allenjel chillin' with some random eagle dude.....huh?



We almost jumped in the big inflated jumpy thing they had for the kids, but it was cold and we were tired so we opted against it. Maybe next time!