Race #196
5k #59
2022 Race #4
2022 5k #1
Red, White, and Blue Shoes 5k #9

I didn’t realize until after the race that I last ran this race in 2018. (I ran Peachtree last year. The race was cancelled the year before. In 2019, I took a flight to Europe on that day.) Both Mom and I agree that we definitely do not prefer short, fast effort races but there’s something about those efforts that still makes me want more.

Mom and I headed over to Furman, the host for the race, with the perfect amount of time to park, pick up our bibs, return to the car to drop off my shirt since I decided to run in just a sports bra. (Every year I keep saying that summer gets warmer. Guess that’s what happens with climate change.) and return to the start. Both Mom and I purposefully avoided wearing red, white, or blue since we’ve had our fill of toxic patriotism. (That’s for another post if ever.)

After an in person rendition of the national anthem, we started right on time. In the moment, I thought that was the first on time start for this race but a brief perusal of my recap from 2018 shows that the race managed to start on time that year too.

Going into the race, I did not have any time goals. I’ve been deep into base training, pretty far from anything speed related. I knew I wanted to put in the work though so I planned on a hard effort tempo-like run which ended up being what I managed.

The race starts on the side of the stadium before crossing the Mall, a long straight away on the front of campus, looping around and then heading around the back of the large pond/small lake.

Unfortunately, I neglected to write this recap until almost a week after the race and I struggle to remember details, especially in such a short race. I do remember that the effort felt difficult but sustainable. I knew not to push it any faster or I would risk bonking hard before the end of the race.

Mile 1 – 8:13
Mile 2 – 8:07

I also kept in mind a hill that makes its presence known early on in mile 3. In previous races, this hill has knocked the wind out of my sales making the final half mile feel nearly unbearable. This year? The hill didn’t feel easy yet it did not feel particularly challenging either. I have a particularly nasty hill on my weekly long run route to thank for that.

Around this time, Mom told me to go ahead, probably thinking she was holding me back. I kept going at the same effort level which did end up separating me from her by only a little.

The last portion of the 5k takes you back down the Mall, around a round about in front of the fitness center and then back behind the stadium before you enter the stadium to finish on the 50 yard line.

As I ran behind the stadium, I did not plan on a full out sprint but then my competitive nature got the best of me, in a good way, when I heard a guy’s voice close behind me. No way did I want to get passed this close to the finish so I kicked into a sprint and managed to beat him (and another buy) by a mere two seconds.

Mile 3 – 8:02
.18 nubbin – 7:15
Overall – 25:42

My times have gotten progressively slower for this race. I have to keep reminding myself that I gave the race effort that I trained for even though I long to get back to the times for all distances that I ran back in my fastest years of 2014 and 2015. (More on that to come in future posts.)

Mom finished a mere 25 seconds behind me, first in her age group by an easy three minutes.