We picked up my dad on they way and planed to meet my mom there since she decided to walk the short 3.1 miles to the race. We arrived at the golf course around 7:45 and checked in to get our bibs, goodie bags, and t-shirts! The rain continued to sprinkle as I warmed up with Brian and we checked out a little of the course. The whole thing was run on the golf course which had some pretty crazy rolling hills.
I was nervous before the race because I wanted to PR but didn't know if it was possible because the whole course was either uphill or downhill. All of my previous PR's for a 5k had been run on fairly flat courses. Brian and I stood near the front and soon we were off and running!
The start was downhill (see above picture) and then after about 0.2 miles we made a left onto the grass, up a small hill and onto the golf cart path. The course wound its way around the holes and stayed on the path. I was feeling pretty good, didn't want to start too fast so just tried to stay with the people around me. We would run this path/loop twice before heading onto a new area. We climbed two bigger hills before a steep downhill and then circled around to where my mom was standing and the start of the second loop. The first mile was just before the end of the first loop.
Mile 1: 6:51
We headed back up onto the grass as we circled back to the golf cart path and went for another loop. I was still feeling ok - there was one girl WAY out in front of me, one older women who was running with me and 3 girls behind me. The hilliness of the course was starting to wear on me and my legs just slowed down in this mile. I saw my mom again as I finished the second loop and she told me about the three women right behind me! Just past seeing my mom, I came to mile 2.
Mile 2: 7:29
Brian coming into mile 2
I slowed down a lot for that second mile but I thought it was a good move. For the two miles I ran a 14:20 which was pretty much where I wanted to be. My goal had been to run the first two miles in 14:14 and then just hold on and maybe speed up for the last mile. After Mile 2 there were rolling hills and I started to feel horrible. I got a cramp in my right lung/abdominal area and couldn't breathe. It felt like someone had stabbed me and I wanted to stop and walk. I was upset that I had to slow down just so I could stop from making wheezing/dying noises and actually feel ok. Eventually the pain became bearable and I continued on but I had been passed by three women, going from second place to 5th.
It was a disappointment that I was unable to hold on. I really wanted to finish strong and run well for my first race back but the hills of the golf course did not agree with me. I really wanted to quit on that last mile, it was the most pain I have ever felt - almost as bad as my hip flexor strain that I had from college track.
Mile 3 + 0.1: 8:41
At the finish line
With Brian and my mom at the finish!
Brian and I after racing in the rain!
Overall it was a fun race - it was a new experience to run on a golf course, just not ideal to PR.
Time: 23:08 (7:28 min/mile pace)
Place: 20/114
Age group: 1/6
Female place: 5/52
After the race, we went back to my parents to clean up. I basically laid around all day yesterday, I just felt so tired and my right ab/lung was sore from the cramp. I tried to think about why this had happened - it wasn't like I had gone out too fast for the race. It just seemed the up and down hills were too much for me. I have been running on hills but I was not used to or ready for the terrain of a golf course.
My next race is the Pink Ribbon Run 5k for the Breast Cancer Coalition on May 9th. The race is on Mother's Day and I will be doing it with my mom. It is also a women ONLY race which I am excited about because this will be a first for me!
Thanks for reading! Happy Monday!!
33 comments:
Sounds like a pretty great race! I love that your family is so involved in your running. Good luck on your next 5K!
like alee i love that your family gets and does the whole running thing. that's sooo awesome! congrats on the race and even though you didn't pr you ran really well :) and in the rain too?! awesome :)
Interesting idea for a race. Great job...wish I could have those kinds of time!
ugh, sorry to hear about the cramp, but you did run a great race on all those hills.
I ran an all women 10k once, it was so much fun!
Damn 6:15 mile!!! Holy fast girl :)
you did a great job :)
nice race! the golf course reminds me of cross country, but that's awesome they had a road race there!
ahhh sorry to hear about that awful side cramp! your time was still pretty awesome considering you haven't raced in awhile, and way to go on the AG win! :)
Congrats on finishing! Great job, despite your pain!
Ups and downs in a 5K are BRUTAL! Sounds like you were in some serious pain. Way to push through and still finish in a GREAT time!
The Mother's Day women's only run sounds fun!
Sounds like a tough race in some aspects - way to do your best. Rolling hills in a 5K don't give a lot of room for relaxing. Stitches are the worst. Have a great next race with your mom.
Great job! You have some nice speed in those legs. Next time just reverse the splits and you'll feel awesome!
Great work with still pushing through the race - those little hills can be killer!
OK lung/ab cramp OUCH!! And running on grassy wet hills, CRAZY!! Way to pull out a killer time in less than ideal conditions.
Ohhhh May 9th with your Mom and all women sounds AMAZING!
whewww!!!! tough race!!!! i hate that feeling at the end of a race where you are giving it your all and you just want to hang on to a faster pace. you toughed it out and finished strong, though! way to go!! PR IS IN YOUR FUTURE you better believe it. your heart is there, and your training is also there. the more races you do the more likely it is, too. glad you had some competition. always good to have females to run w/ or chase. first in your age group too!!!!!!! did brian do as well as he wanted to?
Way to go hanging on through the nasty cramp. Some races just aren't meant to be. I agree that you probably had a PR day, just not a PR course.
Way to hang in there J! First in AG is nothing to be disappointed about. Good run on a tough course under less than ideal conditions!
PR or not, that's a speedy 5K! Welcome back to the races ;) heh Great pics, too!
Wow! I wonder what was going on with that cramp! Do you think it could just be the hills? Wow.
You still did great!
I always wonder what a women only race would be like!
sorry it was a tough race, but you made it through and it's an opportunity to learn something new. Do you think the weather may have played a role? Glad you got to enjoy time with your family!
I love women only races and I have been able to run a couple with my daughter! Your mom will love it.
Congrats on the race! First in your age group, wooho!
Way to hang in there. Yay for first in age group!
Oy vey! That course would have kicked my butt. Those hills look brutal. I do not run on hills very often which is something I need to do...
Good race- sorry about the cramp, that kinda sucks. You'll PR in the next one :)!
Great race, girl! I agree... I don't think a golf course would be the place to PR... especially when I think about the courses around here and how hilly they really are!
That stinks -- but you toughed it out and still finished in a great time!
Nice work!!!!
Nice job to push through all that and have a great race! Way to go!
Must be fun to run on a golf course! I think you did pretty well placing first in your age group. Good work!
You are crazy fast, even with some serious pain. Isn't it crazy how those aches last all day!!
OMG! Do you remember my ab/lung pain from last spring? I actually figured out that I had strained a really high ab muscle, and it's super easy to do if you're running on an extreme downhill, and your legs aren't super conditioned for hills. I hope it's not the case for you, but kind of sounds like it. Mine would be fine when I would run up hill, but feel like a knife was gutting me on the downhill portions. It's finally gone away, but I had it for a good 6 months. :s
But despite all of that, you had an AWESOME time. And that first mile, holy crap!!!! :D Way to go.
way to go J!!! :) you killed that 5k! pr or not, you were out there in the rain and the rain is the devil! :) keep up the great work!!! :)
The golf course sounds fun despite the rain. I love the scenery of a good golf course, but I suck at golf so I rarely get to hang out there...now running on a golf course - that's more like it :).
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