My 4th 5K!!!

Never before did I think I would be saying that I finished my 4th 5K. I still have to re-read that to make sure it's accurate. I completed the Linda Yalem 5K Safety Run at the University at Buffalo yesterday morning. This race, now in it's 22nd year, is commemorate the memory of Linda Yalem, a UB student who was raped and murdered while she ran along the bike path near UB. The focus of this race is also to stress the importance of safety when running and to never run alone. I ran it with my husband who has been the best running buddy and coach ever!! He stuck with me all the way to the end sacrificing his PR. It was a beautiful Sunday morning with blue skies and comfortable temps for a race. I was so tired that morning since I have not been sleeping well the previous 5 nights. I ate what is now becoming my normal breakfast: coffee and plain Greek yogurt with honey. I'm always a bundle full of nerves before any race, so to distract myself I focused on eating my entire energy gel pack (I think this really helped me). The line up always increases my anxiety and then once we are off I get so excited. I'm always saying in the back of my mind "I'm really doing this". I felt good the whole race which I was really excited about especially since I have not run on pavement in over 2 months (Dirty Girl was mostly trails so I'm not counting that). I hit the first mile marker with my best pace time ever! I was determined not to let myself slack and I felt confident that I could finish it at that pace. There were some small hills that I knew about but this time the hills didn't bother me like they did at Dirty Girl or Girls on the Run. I attacked them confidently. The entire route was lined with volunteers and members of various student groups and Greek organizations. They held signs, yelled, clapped, and cheered us on. I gave a thumbs up as I passed most of them and told one group that was the biggest and the loudest that they were the best group on the route! They truly were awesome and encouraging and placed just at the right spot at the 2.5 mile point. Finally, I rounded the last curve and I could see the finish line. I sprinted ahead motivated by some runners who had finished the race and were saying, "push it, you're almost there". I saw the clock and was completely amazed that it said 43:45. I have NEVER finished a 5K, even in practice, in under 45 minutes. I raced ahead determined to not let that clock reach 44 minutes and I crossed the finish line at 43:59. My chip timing was 43:30 with a 14:02 pace! A new PR for me!!! I felt on top of the world!!! I couldn't believe it especially since I had not completed a 5K race in so long. I now know that all of the work I continued to do despite my inconsistent running due to back pain was really helping me. My husband snapped a pic with me all smiles.

I realize that a 14 minute mile is really slow, but for me this was the best feeling ever since I have shaved over a minute off of my miles and nearly 4 minutes off from my previous timed race (Dirty Girl was not timed but I am still counting it in my chart of completed 5K's). My goal for the next few weeks is to work up to 5 miles so that I will be ready for the Turkey Trot in November. Next race on our list is the Niagara Falls International 5K in October.

At the end of the race was the post party complete with a free buffet. I couldn't believe how much food they had for us. There was chicken and penne pasta (which I could not eat), green beans (they were yummy), veggie soup, pb & j sandwiches, oranges, bananas, yogurt, and rolls with butter. All FREE!!! The beans, yogurt, and banana were exactly what I needed. As we were eating we got to watch the Kid's Dash, which was absolutely adorable. I think this would be a perfect family event next year and I know my nephew would LOVE to do the Kid's Dash. Overall, this was one of the best races that I've completed and I couldn't have done it without my amazing husband/running buddy/coach. He has really encouraged me to push and challenge myself. You're the best honey!!