Saturday morning begin with my alarm going off and me jumping out of bed (okay, I don't actually jump at 6am). I put warm running clothes on (I heard it was around 38 degrees at that time) and drove to Winter Park. After I figured out the confusing parking situation, I went to the registration table to pick up my number, chip and awesome t-shirt and head back to the warmth of the car. Over 2300 runners showed up. Needless to say, the beginning of the race was extremely crowded. I, of course, had been fighting a case of nerves for the last 12 hours and spent half of the race convincing myself (and the butterflies in my stomach) that all I had to do was run. I reminded myself over and over again that I was running this race for ME and that I was the ONLY PERSON setting the goals. I felt like I was getting ready to get on the ice at a major figure skating event (I use to be a figure skater) and had to worry about landing huge jumps, when I all really had to do was RUN!
Anyways, after calming my nerves, I discovered that my legs were getting really tired and I wasn't even running as fast as I have in the past. Apparently I over did it the day before. I decided that I need to add some strength training into my workouts (the day before a race). Oh, and I forgot to eat breakfast (oops!).
In the end, I was happy with my results. I ran the 5k split in 26:00 (exactly!) and ran the entire race in 27:05. My goal was to run the 5k in 26:00 or less and I (barely) achieved my goal! I was running 8:22 miles. The last 5k I ran was 6 months ago and I finished in 29 minutes, so I cut over 3 minutes off of my time!
Things I Learned:
-I have to eat something before a race. A banana, a little oatmeal, a protein bar (yuck), etc.
-I need to wear a zip up jacket on cold days, not a hoodie.
-If I run at all the day before the race, I should take it easy and not push my muscles.
-I LOVE RUNNING!
I am planning on running in another 5k next month. I was looking at one in two weeks, however, I just came down with a nasty cold. I think I am going to do the one in four weeks to give myself sometime to get well again and to train. I would really like to cut a minute off of my time. My best 5k time (unofficial, during training) was 24:25. By the summer I would like to be consistently running 5ks in the 22:00 range. I am thinking about joining a running group to help push me farther.
Happy Running :)
you did not learn that you love running from the race... you already knew that.
ReplyDeleteand now some pointers just for YOU!
1) the day before a race is supposed to be a very easy day... no more than a 30 minute easy run... and some striders are good.
2) make sure you drink a TON of water the day before a race... the day of... if it is a morning race... you should drink some water before... but not too much too close to start... a) you will get cramps... b) it will swish around in your belly... c) you might have to go to the bathroom during the race.
3) something small to eat before your race is good... but once it gets within an hour of the race be very careful with that... food can make you cramp as well... or your stomach just burn. also it can make you feel heavy. so 45 minutes to an hour before is best...
3)...but don't eat a protein bar BEFORE your race... protein is heavy and MUCH harder to break down... EAT A PROTEIN BAR (or any protein) WITHIN 30 MINUTES AFTER FINISHING (a race or just a workout). you need it to repair your muscles that you break down when you run... gotta build strength. before you race you want carbs.... your body breaks them down faster so they wont be sitting in your stomach and the energy will be available sooner. the main source of energy your body uses is glycogen... and that is made from carbs! so the banana or oatmeal are still good. (or apple or granola bar or poptarts... ect)
4) PASTA... best time to pasta up is TWO nights before your race.
5) you might want to start adding some high intensity workouts to help you get down to 22 minutes.... for a 5k you could alternate between tempo runs and Vo2 workouts. do Vo2 on tuesday and Tempo on thursday (if you have a saturday race).. i can explain what those are if you want to know.. just email me!!!
alrighty sorry this comment is like really long... but i want to to achieve your goal! so i thought i would try to help!