Freedom Run 5k!!!

WOW!!!  This race was about a thousand times harder than I expected.  Bragging:  I've progressed to the point now that a three mile run is no big deal.  Not bragging: This run nearly did me in.  I had assumed it would be a really easy run and it would just be my regular workout with my training schedule.  I was going to pass out a few cards (which I did) and push hard to get a PR on a 5k.  My time to beat was 30 min flat, the time I got in December at the Santa Run.  The last two Saturdays I've done 6 mile runs.  Both of those were easier than this 5k was for me.  No joke.

Before, while I still looked lovelyish.  I'm #840.  I'd never met the two in the middle, but the other three are family friends.  The one on the far right is the one who organized the fundraiser.  The other two I know are her mom and her sister-in-law.

Hey, look!  It's my back!

What I didn't count on that day was the humidity.  Really?  Humidity?  Here?  I'm used to a dry heat.  And a touch of a breeze.  We had neither.  I also got a surprise from my monthly visitor that morning.  I swear that adds 15 pounds to each leg.  Neither of those were things I had any control over.  I did, however, have control over my pace.  I decided to be a big shot and keep pace with C, the one I'm talking to in the above pic.  That worked for the first mile or so until I told her to run ahead because I needed to slow down.  She ended up finishing more than four minutes ahead of me, so I'm glad I didn't try to keep up or slow her down.

It's my back again!  Betcha can't guess who forgot to bring her camera... 

I finally gave up and started walking a little after the halfway point.  I preferred that to complete collapse.  It wasn't the first time I would walk.  I did make sure that when I walked I was going pretty quick  I kept up with my music, which was fast.  At first I felt like maybe I wasn't doing my best, but the humidity really was oppressive to me.  If it gives you any idea, I spilled a little on my shirt when I went to a water station.  It took well over an hour to dry.  When I bought the pink shirt to run in I debated over the one I got and a tank top.  I sooooo should have gotten the tank.  Anyway.  One of the difficult things was that during the run I started to seriously question whether or not I really want to try for a marathon.  If I hated a short run so much then why on earth would I want to add another 23.1 miles to it?  However, one of the best pieces of advice I've ever received is "don't quit on a bad day."  So I'm not quitting.

Most of the race is flat, but the last part is uphill. Such a mean, dirty trick.  Toward the finish line I tried to pick up the pace a little and that was moderately successful.  I went faster but there wasn't a whole lot left to give.  I made it, though!  I went through the lines to get my souvenir water bottle and some food and watched the people around me.  I heard someone say, "Man, after Ragnar I thought this would be cake but it wasn't!"  I've heard how truly challenging Ragnar is so that made me feel like I'm less of a wimp.  I really had been disappointed not to run the whole thing.  I heard someone else ask their friend if it was worth waiting in line to get the special water bottle.  That's the hardest 3 miles I've run in a loooooooong time, so there was no way I was leaving without that water bottle.  I earned it, man!  In the end I'm actually pretty proud of how I did.  With the humidity and my other...uh...bodily ailments, I think I still did well.  Final time was 31:48.6 (10:15 pace) and I placed 55 out of 214 in my age division.  Not too shabby.  It was just complete misery while I was doing it.  I'll have to go for another PR in the future; it's okay that this one wasn't my best.

Now it's on to tomorrow's seven mile run.  I am once again apprehensive to do the long run because yesterday's three was so beastly.  I'm nervous for tomorrow and hoping for much, MUCH less humidity.

**UPDATE**  The professional pictures from the Freedom Run have been posted.  Find mine here.  If you look at picture 13 you'll see I apparently came in just behind "Ridiculously Photogenic Guy"... who is pushing a stroller.  Maybe next year I'll make it ahead of the stroller-pushers. :)