Good news! This will be my last race recap until late January! 🙂
I was pretty worried about how I would do during this race. Since the Turkey Trot, I had one run once and while it was a good run, I knew I wanted to better my time and wouldn’t be happy unless that happened.
The race was in Brandon, which meant a 30-minute drive for us. It was a little chilly in the morning, but not too bad. I would say it was in the low 50s around 6am, but headed into the high 50s/low 60s at race time. (My weather app told me it was 55 degrees at race time, but it felt much hotter. And I’m a wimp when it comes to cold weather so 55 degrees would have frozen me solid.)
My mom was running the half-marathon, as a training run for her full next month, so she headed off first at 7am. I was so nervous for her, knowing she wanted a good run after her awful trail run.
My race started at 7:30am and it was a pretty small crowd of people. I was worried that I would get behind quickly, as I did in the trail run, and not see anyone for miles. (Luckily, this didn’t happen. Although I was in the latter part of the group.) Before the race, I met Melanie! I hooked up with her through DailyMile when I saw she was running this race and it was cool to meet, although I didn’t see her afterward to keep chatting.
Boo!
The race was simple and flat. It wound through a shopping center, down a busy street, and through a subdivision, before looping back. I tried not to get too discouraged when I saw the leaders already heading back before I even finished my first mile. (The winner did it in 16:16. Crazy!)
Since I didn’t know if this race would have mile markers, I decided to employ a 12:2 run/walk ratio. The first 12 minutes were horrible, making me question my decision to want to be a runner, especially as I kept falling behind. But I kept running until I hit 12 minutes. About 30 seconds into my walk, I saw the first mile marker. Dang! At least I knew I was going at a pretty good pace.
Once my two minutes of walking were up, I began to run again, stopped for a few seconds at the water stop, and picked up my pace again. This interval wasn’t too bad, although I know I was going pretty slow. I was just focused on running and not stopping.
I took another two-minute walking break when I hit the second mile marker. I had a terrible side stitch that I had to keep massaging. I kept trying to run but it’s hard when it feels like a billion knives are poking you from the inside. I kept massaging my side until it felt like I could run with it and run I did! I ran all the way to the finish, maintaining a pretty good pace and sprinted to the finish.
Finishing time? 42:17. Another personal record for this girl!
For the past few days, I’ve been toying with the idea of training for a 10K or a half-marathon but I think I’m going to stick to 5K’s for the time being until I feel like 3 miles is easy. Right now, it’s still pretty hard and I want to be able to run the entire thing without walking. There’s nothing wrong with walking breaks, but I need to prove to myself I can run a 5K without them. I might shoot for a 10K this summer and maybe (this is a big maybe) a half-marathon next fall.
This was a great race and I would definitely run it again. I love any race with well-placed mile markers, chip timing, and great spectator support. Even the people taking pictures were giving great support! One of them actually ran over a mile with my mom to the finish and made her keep running! The weather was great and I loved the tech tee I got. I need more long-sleeved ones and this one is perfect! I really can’t think of anything to complain about! They even gave out beer at the finish! 🙂
Answer me this: what’s the coldest you will walk/run in? For me, it would be anything under 45 degrees. That’s just too cold for this thin-skinned Florida girl!
That's awesome Stephany! Look at all your personal bests, you're doing amazing! 🙂
But we won't talk about how cold I'll go walking in, because it would totally give you nightmares 🙂
haha yah, I'm a huge wuss when it comes to running in the cold!! Anything under 35 and I'm pry out 🙂
Congrats on the PR! I usually regret wanting to be a runner a few minutes in as well, and then a bit later on, I get the stitches too. Good for you for running through it, definitely not easy! The coldest I've run in recently was about 45, but I didn't know it at the time and it certainly didn't feel that cold. I usually turn on the news before heading out to check the weather and if it's below 50 (okay 55), I'll hit the treadmill instead! I'm a thin-skinned Arizona girl!
Hmm. 59? lol I'm a pansy when it comes to cold weater. Congrats on another completed run! Look at you!
Yay you're awesome!
Um, my first year of college I walked all the time, miles a day. All through the winter, so into the negatives.
You definitely should not come anywhere near Wisconsin from about October to May, hehe.
Yay for new personal records! I wish I loved running, bu I've never been in good enough shape to do it.
I would also love to answer your question except we don't even work on the same degree system- but if I'm thinking of everyday walking, -10 degrees Celsius is my breaking point. Which is unfortunate because in about a month or so, the temp over here will go down to -30, if not colder! I have no clue what that is in Farenheit though!! haha
The coldest I've ran in ever is -20 C with it snowing out! But I regularly run in -5 to -15 C in the wintertime! You just have to bundle up 🙂
Great job on your race girl! You're definitely improving and that's great – you should be proud of yourself!!
Great work! I hate running in the cold because it makes my ears hurt!
So, I haven't ran since my 5k (October 16th). I know, I know! It makes me sad, too. Anyway, it was 30 degrees that morning, and it was my best run EVER. My muscles felt tight at the beginning, but after a couple minutes, I felt great. And the high today is 34 degrees (with a low of 20, I think), and I'm really itching to get out and run. I may have to for the first time in (almost) two months! 😀
Great job on a new PR! 😀 You know, I may be coming down to Florida sometime in the spring, and I'd LOVE to run with you (whether it be a 5k or not). My family lives in Spring Hill (it's in Hernando County), so it's not TOO far from you. 🙂 I can hop on the Suncoast Parkway and get there pretty quick, I think.
Congrats on your personal best! That's awesome =) Keep it at, you're doing great!!!
Great job on the new PR! I am said that this is your last race for awhile.
Why do you think you got the side stitch? Does this happen often?
How did your mom do?
I've run in the single digits (Fahrenheit) with negative windchill. We have a treadmill, but I feel like I am going no where. My husband will only run until it's about 40!
Nice job on the PR! How did your mom's race go?
YOu def have thin blood compared to us Midwesterners! I have ran in -10F. I think that's the coldest? That was pretty miserable. I really like running in 30-50 degree temps. That's the best running weather for me. I don't like running if it's below 20 degrees. But anything about 20 is pretty do-able for me.
Congrats on finishing the race!! 🙂 I think it'd be more fun and thrilling to run in the cold weather opposed to 112 degrees.