Sunday, January 2, 2011

Run #17 - First Run 5K (at Midnight!)

I decided to alter my half-marathon training program (oh yes, I am still doing that.... and I will continue to remind you for about 6 more weeks!) so that I could turn one of my mid-week runs into the 5K race being held on New Years Eve at 11:59pm. The First Run 5K/10K.... What a crazy experience!

Before the race I lounged around the house reading blogs, watching Without Limits and deciding what to wear for such a cold, yet short race. And then I decided what to bring for any "just in case" moments. Eventually I left to get up to Eugene so I could go to the running store and buy my Prefontaine necklace. They were closed. *Insert very sad face here.*  Immediately I turned and scurried over to the Nike store to find something I could wear that would keep my ears warmer than the little margarita band I usually wear. While there I stopped to take a look at Pre's shoes and training log book. They have this pretty cool display about the history of Nike and how it all came to be! 

I still had hours to kill so I went to the mall, grabbed some pasta and then began mall walking. The mall closed about 10 minutes after I got there, but I had an hour and a half until Black Swan started (which is why I was there in the first place). I always thought hanging out in a closed mall could be cool. I mean didn't they get stuck in one on Saved By the Bell? Well let me tell you, it isn't all it is cracked up to be. Eventually I found that Target on the opposite end was open, so I wandered through there. I had to pull myself away when I found the fitness section and started searching for anything to buy!  Black Swan was great. Go see it! It made me want to lose 75 pounds and become a perfect ballerina!

Okay, so the movie ends and I still have a couple of hours until the race. I went over to the starting area and decided to change into my running skirt and pants in the car. I figure at that hour it is so dark and nobody cares about some girl switching clothes when they were all probably on their way to a bar or something. I killed time for quite a while and eventually went into the hotel area where check-in was being held. Oh, it was so nice and warm!! Got my shirt and bib and decided to linger around for a while and put some Tiger Balm on my leg for good measure. I love that stuff! That tingling feeling is just too cool! 

Back to the car for a while until that got too cold. Back inside to see what all is going on - and a lot of people have arrived and are hanging out. Talked to a girl in the bathroom about what we were wearing - both of us just in a short sleeve shirt over long sleeves. Decide we'll be fine. Go back out to the main area and as I am walking back to the car to ditch my warm jacket and grab gloves they announce the arrival of snow! Cool! But then, not so cool!!  Quick costume change for me! I switched my bib to my skirt, which I have never done but it ended up not being annoying. Then I grabbed my "just in case" jacket and threw on a visor over my ear warmer thing. The snow hitting my face was stinging and I couldn't imagine 30 minutes of pain on  my face while running.

I get to the starting chute with about 2 minutes to spare and it is as narrow as can be. All of us on one little bike path. Thank goodness for chip timing! The gun goes off and we stand there. Eventually we start moving. (I was at the back because I couldn't figure out how to get into the chute at first.) Pretty soon fireworks are going off everywhere. I could only hear them, however. And for the first 1/2 of a mile I was annoyed. Basically I had a PR in me. I didn't think I did, but turns out I was ready for it. But I had to spend half of a  mile trying to get around walkers, talkers, slower runners ... all on this narrow path. The bridge was slippery so that made it even more difficult to try to weave around people. Once I broke free I was going great! I continued to pass people until the very end and never got passed. I love that!

I live on the edge, can ya tell?
In the end I crossed at exactly 33 minutes on the gun time, but my chip time was 32:13. I see this time and feel really disappointed because I ran my ass off. Mile 3 I did in 9:48, which is my fastest racing mile ever! I crossed going at an 8:43 pace (... and this is why I always love that final kick I practice all the time!).  Mile 2 took just a hair over 10 minutes. It was that first mile. All that waiting to try to get around people that just killed my time. So I guess I'm happy with how I did. I know I ran my hardest. I just can't help but wonder "what if?" If the path was a little wider could I have PR'd? If it hadn't started to snow and the bridge wasn't too icy could I have gotten around them faster? Who knows. 

But it was fun! I finished 6 out of 15 in my division, so no award. I am happy with how high I placed. This race was either seriously hard core runners in tank tops and shorts or families just out for fun together. I could have placed much lower - but I didn't!  They had a pretty big spread of food after - for making nachos and tacos. And then during the awards they gave out just random ones to people ... and I was one of the randoms! So I still got to take home some form of bling. I got this really pretty blue glass coaster type decoration. It was made locally in Eugene from recycled glass - and is now hanging in my kitchen window!

When I got home at 2:45am the roads were completely covered in snow. My house was blanketed in it. It was such a pretty way to return to my warm house - and immediately crash in my bed!


For the Run for the BLING of it challenge ... here is my bling!  One down - eleven to go!

16 comments:

  1. Love the shirt and sounds like a fabulous way to ring in the New Year! :) Great start to the Bling Challenge!

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  2. Nice run! I love the bling!

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  3. Woo-hoo on Bling #1!!!

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  4. Woohoo!! Love the bling!

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  5. This shirt is Rockin'! I usually don't get the shirt if I have a choice because I rarely like it but this shirt is cool! ;)

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  6. Cute shirt! I almost did that race... Congrats!

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  7. Congrats on the first race of the challenge!

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  8. Perfect way to start 2011! Happy New Year!! :) I love that running skirt - so cute!

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  9. I was in the middle of commenting and somehow I lost my comment, so sorry if you already got half of this!!

    But, wow, what a night you had! What a great way to start the year, and now you already have a race under your belt, that is awesome! I think the fireworks would be kind of cool at the start. And nice job on your 2nd and 3rd mile, too bad it was so crowded in the beginning. Most people were probably just doing it for the experience. I wish I could do the bling challenge, but there are some months that I know we just have too many things going on for me to fit it in, but it will be fun reading everybody else's race reports!

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  10. Nice glass thing! Way cooler than a ribbon!!!

    Next time line up closer to the front =D

    Glad you made it home OK...

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  11. Congrats on your race!!! It sounds like it was a nice time - other than the annoying passing of slow people - ugh!

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  12. Congrats on your first race of 2011! You have a great line-up races for this year...good luck!

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  13. What a truly bad ass way to ring in the new year :-)

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  14. What a great way to ring in the new year!!!! Great bling!

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Thanks for reading my little blog, your comments rock my compression socks!! ºoº