I Love Small Races

When I remembered that the small, local 5k I did last year was in May I got really excited and then got a little sad when I found it was less than a week after the Nike Women's Half Marathon.  I wasn't sure how I felt about going into a race knowing that my legs wouldn't be exactly ready to rock a 5k and didn't want to pay the fee upfront in case I woke up on Saturday hating life.

By the time Friday rolled around I was ready to run.  I had only run a mile since the race and seeing all the runners out on the gorgeous week we've been having made me really want to get out there and join them.  I went to bed early knowing that I would get up and run the next day.  I'm trying to take a more relaxed approach to running these days because I know not every race is going to be a PR.  As I say in every race recap I've written, I really love race day.  I was going to run on Saturday anyway, so why not make it a little more fun?

When I get up on race days, Mad Dog makes himself comfortable.

When I woke up Saturday morning it was a little chilly!  It was going to be about 50 degrees during the run, so I put on my favorite long sleeve shirt with my shorts (that just happened to match my green Guide 5s) and headed out the door.  One of my favorite things about small races is that you don't have to worry about registering weeks or even months before.  I parked right near the start line with no problems and walked up to the table about 30 minutes before the start and was good to go.  Back when I used to run races with my dad, this is how it always was.  We rarely registered beforehand and would show up to the race with our registration forms filled out and check in hand.

The time until the start of the race went by quickly.  It was such a gorgeous day and I was excited to be able to run in one of my favorite places (this was the race where I discovered the park that Maddux and I always go to!).  As we started the race, my pace felt a lot faster than it has been lately, but I figured that I would hold on to it as long as I could.  It was nice to know after mile 1 there were only 2 left this weekend!  My legs felt really great and it was fun being in a crowd of runners.  I was ready for the first big hill because it's on a path where I run a lot, but the second one through the neighborhood really got me.  My quads were screaming (I think they were mad that they had to work again only 6 days after a half), but eventually I made it to the top only to remember that the finish line was uphill, too.  Great.  I ended up having a pretty strong finish though and my final chip time was 28:29.  Not too shabby.  Plus I ended up being 4th in my age group which was pretty cool.  Next year I'm gunning for one of the top two spots!  The crowd at the finish line was fun and cheered for me and joked around like they had known me forever.  I'm telling you, runners are the best.

My legs are feeling a little tight today, so the plan is to take Maddux on a nice long walk and then get some time on my now beloved stationary bike in.  Zooma is right around the corner so gotta keep the quads happy!