WEEK 19: MY FIRST 8K!!!

Hello all,

I was on a brief hiatus but I'm back now...

WEEK 19 Recap:

• Monday: Rest
  
• Tuesday: 3 miles
  
• Wednesday: Rest
  
• Thursday: 4 miles
  
• Friday: Rest
  
• Saturday: 3 miles
  
• Sunday: 5 miles
  
• TOTAL: 15 MILES

WEEK 19 ended on a bitter sweet note with my first 8K. Keep reading to find out why.

Abridged version:

IT WAS FREEZING on the morning of the race, but I ran a phenomenal race even though my fingers and toes were numb during the first two miles. If it weren't for my $4 space blanket that kept me warm for an hour at the start, I would have definitely gone home with a DNS (did not start). My official finish time was 51:19 and placed #847 out of 1469 finishers.

Un-abridged version:

THE EXPO...I went to the expo on Saturday afternoon and pick up a few items without spending an arm and a leg:

• sun glasses for running on sunny days
  
• neck warmer (came in handy on race day)
  
• running skirt (so cute!!)
  
• 3/4-length running tights (hot pink...love them!!)
  
• sports tank top

THE WEATHER...On the morning of the race the temperature was 23*F and it was a bit breezy. I stepped out of the car and immediately stepped back in to open up my $4 space blanket. I figured if it didn't work as well as advertised, I would be going back home because there was no way that I was gonna stand outside for an hour waiting for the start in the freezing cold. But fortunately, the space blanket worked wonders!!! I also had a gang of disposable 'hand' warmers strategically placed all over my body and they also worked like a charm.

THE CROWD...There were thousands of people at the race: marathon runners, half-marathon runners, Rothman 8K runners, volunteers, race staff, spectators, police officers, etc. Offically, over 18,000 runners registered. Despite the crowd, the start/finish area was well organized in my opinion. Some of the volunteers were clueless but it was all good. The first 6 or 7 volunteers couldn't tell me where to line up or where to check my gear, but I eventually found both without a problem.

THE RACE...The race started in 3 waves for crowd control purposes and the Rothman 8K runners were part of the third and final wave. I was soooo glad to finally start running because I was very uncomfortable with the temperature. I had grown so attached to my space blanket that instead of chucking it when the race started, I folded it up as best I could and stuffed it in the back of my tights.

Anyway, I finally crossed the start around 7:25am and I was off. I kept the first mile really slow because my fingers and toes were numb, and my backside had started to get cold without my space blanket. People were passing me and I was tempted to run a bit faster to warm up faster but I just kept at my super slow pace. After the first mile, I had warmed up a little (fingers and toes still numb), so I picked up the pace a bit for the second mile. And it was during Mile-2 that I started passing people because a lot of runners had started to walk. I was pretty surprised. There was no way I was gonna stop now that the heat had started to kick in.

By Mile-3 my fingers and toes had warmed up thanks to my nifty hand warmers, and I was feeling pretty good, so I kicked it up another notch. At this point, I realized that I was seriously weaving in and out of people: runners and walkers alike. I felt awesome at the start of Mile-4, so I gave it a bit more gas.

Finally, when I hit the start of Mile-5 I felt like I could run a few more miles, so I kicked in to the highest gear I could sustain for a mile. I had to slow down just a tad during a slight uphill stretch around 4.5 miles, but I was still flying by people.

With the finish line in sight, I gave it all I had with a smile on my face. I was so excited to finish but I REALLY wanted to continue running just to keep warm. But I was directed to the food tent where I was given some water, snacks and some steaming hot chicken broth...nice.

Here are my mile splits:

• Mile 1 - 11:34 min
  
• Mile 2 - 10:52 min
  
• Mile 3 - 10:16 min
  
• Mile 4 - 9:19 min
  
• Mile 5 - 8:56 min (my fastest mile EVER!!!)
  

Talk about your negative spilts....

So, even though I spent an hour before the race and an hour after the race in the most uncomfortable weather I've ever had to withstand, I had an awesome time running the Rothman 8K and I've got the pictures to prove it!

Injury/Health Report: With all the rest days between WEEK 18 and this week, I was well rested and have no injuries or ailments to report. I felt absolutely fine.

Tech Report: In addition to the items I purchased at the race expo, I went to the Nike Outlet and picked up 4 long-sleeved winter running shirts: 2 base-layer shirts and 2 heavier mock turtle necks with super long sleeves and thumb holes. I also found a nice sports bra. They were all on clearance with an additional 30-50% off, so I made out well.

See you next week!

Almost Thirty