Happy Race Day Anniversary!!

If you read my blog often you would know my first ever race I trained for was a 5k in August of 2010. It was an all women's run. I ran one other race that year and fell of the wagon. In June of 2011 I got the courage to run another 5k with a bit of a challenge for me. An off road 5k with mostly grass and wooded trails. This race was one of the hardest races I had ever ran. It was not only tough physically (a whole mile uphill) but, very tough mentally. I managed to complete it at a horrible (to me) time of 45 min.

After completing the race with a friend, she told me of an online running community I could be a part of. After joining and reading why all these other women and mother runners run, it got me so motivated. I didn't let that horrible time get me down.

I am so happy to say, I have been running non stop since!!

This week, the time had come to run the same horrible race that had haunted my nightmares for so long. I set out that morning with major butterflies. Even though it was a 5k something I have ran so many times now, I was extremely nervous. I also have been dealing with a heel injury since my half. Not to mention also had been having shin pain since running on the track last Wednesday. So, here I was ready to race this race with injuries and all I wanted to do was curl back up in bed. Thankfully, the same friend who ran it last year was running it with me again this year. She had some of the same reserves as I did.

The race was a very small local event, for an elementary school. I would say there were only about 100 runners. Upon picking up my bib the race help reassured me the course was pretty much the same and the same 1 mile long hill was still on the course. Ugh.

I started off my 5k pretty fast for me over wet muddy uneven grass. My shins were screaming at me to slow down. About a mile in I decided to slow down and that it wasn't worth risking injury. About a mile and half came up and here was the hill. I walk/jogged up that hill. Once I was over it, I was actually surprised it wasn't as bad as I had remembered. I think if I wouldn't have been injured, I probably would have been able run most if not all of that hill. The last mile was pretty easy. A little bit of a down hill run.

I actually am excited to run it one more time uninjured to see where I come in at. I finished the race at 40:22. That 4 + minutes faster than last year and only 2 minutes slower than my PR for a 5k. I think that's pretty awesome for an off road 5k with an injury. I am so proud of myself!!

By the way, if your worried about the injuries...I have a podiatrist appointment this Wednesday! Hopefully, he will be able to help me figure out what's going on.

Coming in to the finish!

Another picture coming into the finish! Thanks Crystal for the pics!