RACE: Energize For Life XC 5K, Titusville, FL @20:13!

(NOTE: this entry contains a FOOD PIC!)


The setting: same Chain of Lakes in Titusville, FL as for the race way at the beginning of the season, except instead of loops around two lakes, it was two [clockwise] loops around one of the lakes. The race started at 8:00 AM and there was perfect weather (tiny tiny amount of humidity in the cool, clear air).

In the morning: I woke up at 6:00am after a night of waking up at 3, 4, and 5am because of knee pain. This wasn't the same knee pain as before -- instead of the "my meniscus hurts because my leg wasn't tracking properly due to not stretching my IT band enough", it was an "my knee skin is friggin' BURNING because I gave myself frostbite when I put a homemade isopropyl alcohol + water ice pack directly on my knee". Yeah, so I was quasi-gimpy. The worst thing about it was that my mind was racing throughout the night as to "what did I do to myself?"... and it took driving up to Titusville and getting halfway around the lakes on my warm-up run to realize what I've done. Owwie.

I had gotten there around 7:15 AM and people were trickling in. There ended up being around just under 80 runners this morning and about an equal if not more number of walkers. This lead to an easy starting pace (not the friggin high-schooler speed that messes me up), and I managed to pace myself better. I ran most of the race with Kara and Mark, with Ed my age group nemesis (in the friendly-sense, that is) maybe 50 yards ahead of us. At the Mile 2, I moved ahead of Kara and Mark to pursue Ed. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to make it, but at Mile 2.5, I kicked it pretty hard and did it. I wasn't sure if I would be able to pass him but knew that it was better then than at the 3 mile mark with the sharp turn and short length over the bridges to the finish... not particularly good sprinting grounds but very scenic (I should have gotten a picture of that). I did manage to hold Ed off, and...

I friggin' came in 9th overall! (not my fingers)

And first in my age group! (finally/bout'-time)

Mile 1 - 6:21; Mile 2 - 13:23 (7:02); Mile 3.1 - 20:13 (6:30,0:40).

20:13! That's shaving a buck and a quarter off my last 5k time!

This is the first real race that I consciously ran with the strategy of taking the start conservatively and kicking the end. My timing was a little shaky but it worked!

(Granted, there was no Steve and there was no John, but I did get Ed, who has been surprising me by how much he has improved this season.)

My post-HS 5K PR is only 31 seconds away... very achievable. It's just that the only 5K I've been considering that's left in the season is the Reindeer Run 5K (SCR ROY #5), but I may sign-up day-of for the evening 5K race next weekend.

Anyways, here are some more pictures from this morning.

Me and my award (drinky drinky)

I love these energy rolls! (and yes, I would marry them if it were legal)

I enjoy taking the candid shots

A group of us

Anyways, it was a great morning for a race and for taking photos. :)

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(this photo make it look like I could be a "Hero" too! what would my gay superpower be?)