Grantham Run for the Rec 5k!

I've happily and successfully completed my second 5k! The past few weeks, I've had some great runs. I've been doing longer distances and kept a pretty good pace. My longer runs usually have me running 9 minute miles, but that's fine with me as long as I can get through the distance. I've been averaging 15 to 20 miles a week, which seems to be a nice healthy balance. I've kept up with taking days off, because I've realized as much as I love running and hate taking a day off, my body needs the rest and I run better when I balance it out.

I woke up this morning a little after 6 am, already thinking about the race. I wasn't planning to get up until well after 7, but I usually wake up early when I know I have something exciting going on. I spent about an hour on the couch, watching re-runs of the OC and reading. It was a very relaxing morning. A little after 7, I made some coffee and had a bagel.

I wasn't feeling as pumped for the 5k as I was last time, partly due to the weather and partly due to a late night last night. I ended up being DD for a friend, which I didn't mind, except this morning on my way to the 5k, I saw that someone had hit my car. At this time, no one has come forward and I'm still steaming about it.

Anyways, I had breakfast and continued to relax. I left the house a little after 8 and made my way to Grantham. Its about a 25 minute drive into the country. On my way, I noticed that the mountain had its first white covering. We got some snow yesterday and it definitely stuck on the higher grounds.

I got to the race location around 9 and immediately saw Chris. We ran the last 5k together. And when I say together, I usually follow him and then towards the end he takes off. I did a lot more warming up today, since it was pretty cold. About 40 degrees out, but with the wind chill, definitely in the 30s. We also ran part of the course, because neither of us knew the route.

A little before 10, everyone lined up. I learned from the last race to get a good front spot, which I did again this time. At 10am, we took off. The first half-mile is all up hill, which is a hard start. But I pushed hard to the top, and I pushed hard. About half way up the hill, I figured out I was in 7th position behind 6 guys, so I was the first girl (I kept this as the motivation for the race). At the top, you turn off onto a wide, steep downhill dirt path. It was a rough run on the legs with the terrain. I was definitely afraid of either slipping on the wet gravel or twisting an ankle. The rest of the run until the half way point was a dirt road.

At the water stop, everyone turned around and ran the same route, except this time, you had to run up the rough dirt path. It was the worst. I've run hills, but this was hard and it was a long hill. I had a few moments that I thought I wasn't going to make it, but I pushed. I could hear women behind me and I was afraid they were going to pass me. I made it to the top, still pushing. The rest was a half-mile down hill on pavement. A little down the hill, SHE passed me! She congratulated me on the pace I kept but she perused right by. I was irritated that I let a woman pass me, but either way I was feeling good about my run. I kept close to her for the remainder of the run.

At the bottom of the hill, I heard someone else behind me, and I wasn't going to let it happen. I knew it was another woman and I was determined to keep my position. And I did. I flew to the finish line. I finished 9th overall, 2nd for women, and 1st for women in my age group. My time was 25:14, which was a minute slower than my last 5k but given the brutal hills, I am definitely happy with my performance.

Overall, I'm really happy that I've taken up running and stuck with it. There are days where I definitely don't want to do it, but I do. Its not just physically beneficial, its definitely beneficial to my sanity as well. Running gives me time to think about everything, and it keeps me focused on something other than the actual run.

Next up might be the Monster Dash on Halloween. Its another 5k but everyone runs in costumes. Its a debatable run, since I don't want to push myself too much. I have registered for the Sunapee Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day and I'm trying to recruit more family and Appleseed team members to do it too!