Race Report: Crystal Run 5K Friday #1

Much to my surprise, Rachel and Laura agreed to run a 5K with me on two days notice!  We showed up for the first race in the Crystal Run 5K Series on Friday, April 1st.  It was a cooooollllldddd day.  For the past 6 years, I have spent my money on endurance races, so this was my first 5K in a very long time.  I made a rookie mistake and went out too fast, just to burn out of fuel halfway through.  As a runner, I say to myself...did YOU really just do that?!!!  I finished in 0:27:10, but now, I want to redo it again and see how well I could do if I paced myself better.  (I knew something was up when I sprinted past one of my speedy teammates from the High Cloud Athletic team.  He ended up passing me on Mile 2.  Ughhh.)   

This is Rachel's 2nd 5K.  The beast was determined to beat her last time of 0:40 (yes, this is how the running fanaticism usually starts).  Well, guess what -- Rockstar finished in 0:36:40!!! 

On the other hand, what I didn't realize was that this would be Laura's very first 5K.  Laura is injured and can't run; however, she's apparently a very swift speed walker.  The craziest part of this story is that 40 minutes before the race, Laura realized that she left her running shoes at home (a racer's worst nightmare).  Well, Excuses...Schmexcuses...she figured she was in comfy shoes that she could walk around town all day in, she'd already paid for her registration, and I'd already announced to the world on her FB Wall Page that she was doing her first 5K...what the heck?!!...she was going to speedwalk her way through her first 5K in the shoes she had on.  She finished in 0:42:20.  Wow, seriously?!!  How fast would she be if she were NOT injured and actually had real running shoes on?



When there is a will, there is a way.  I want to congratulate these two Challengers on an amazing 5K race, earning their Race Bonus Points, and (I believe) committing to running it again on 4/29 (as a result, I'll be there too!). 

Let us know if you want to join in the fun!