4th of July Watermelon 5k Recap

The kid and I had our first race today.  The night before, I actually had to search for my Garmin because it's been so long since I used it.  I won't lie: there were some nerves floating around.  Was racing a good idea?  Would I make it the whole way?  Will I actually wake up in time?

The race was at 7:30 this morning. By that time, the temperature was already in the low 80s and the humidity was off the charts.  You know, ideal weather for running.  My friend Kelly agreed to run with me, even though she is much faster than I am, especially right now.  I so appreciated having her there.  Running with friends is always more fun than running alone.

There were 4,000 other people joining us for our run.  It's times like these that I wish I were a little bit taller.  All these people make me feel very claustrophobic.

Even though I knew I was not planning to run below a 9 minute mile, Kelly and I lined up around the 9 minute pace marker.  Something I've learned about "fun runs" is that a lot of people who run them do not pay a lot of attention to the pacing markers.  We figured that by getting a little closer to the 9 minute runners we stood a better chance of avoiding those who chose to walk the entire race.

As predicted, the first half mile was a cluster of people zigzagging in and out of the race path, and over curbs, grass, and sidewalks.  Kelly and I hung back and passed people on an as-needed basis.  I was pleasantly surprised when the first mile clocked by in 9:52.  Right in line with my goal to try and finish at a 10:00 pace.  (Yes, I am neurotic and make goals even when pregnant.  Of course, if it were too difficult, I would have slowed down.)

I had a strange sharp pain across my chest that started halfway in and didn't go away until we stopped.  After I got home and showered, I determined that I likely chafed the girls.  You always find the extra fun chaffing surprises in the shower.   As is the norm these days,  I felt like I needed to pee for the first mile, and then the sensation went away - at least to the point where I could ignore it.

I needed two short walk breaks to keep my heart rate under control, but felt really good otherwise.  Usually, 5ks crawl by for me because I'm dying the entire time.  Running the whole thing at a conversational pace made it fly.  Who knew?

We finished in 31:33, for a 9:59 pace.  The course was a little bit long so I guess my "official" pace is a little slower.

Kelly and I made a beeline for the watermelon as soon as we crossed the finish line. Multiply this piece times three and that was part 1 of my breakfast.  What can I say?  Watermelon is delicious.

Kelly, me, and our sweat.

I won't be busting out any PRs soon, but being able to get out there and race still felt absolutely amazing and made me feel like myself again.  That alone is worth the $25.00 entry fee.