Third Place

While I've done a lot of running over the last 4-5 years, I think I can count on one hand the number of 5ks I've done. And if you take out any Turkey Trots, I only need a finger or two. Since I'm not training for any marathons this year, I've been wanting to try and get my 5k time down. Training for marathons is fun, but I'm loving the 5k because it's instant gratification compared to marathon training. I could probably be using a more scientific process to train, but whatever. I do some hills, some speed work, some "long runs," and ta-da! I can race a 5k every couple weeks and see a little improvement. Other reasons 5ks are fun:

• They're cheap. I signed up for the Herndon Festival 5k on Sunday, June 3, which was a steal at the early-bird price of $25. By comparison, most halfs and marathons run you $100 plus.
• After the seriousness of the marathon "scene," it's refreshing. When you've toed the line at some races where there are so many people that you're in corral G and you can't even see corral GG, it's sort of cute and quaint (in a good way) to be at a start line where the Race Director is shouting at the kids in the front to "back up, you have to run the whole 3.1!" and the gun is someone shouting "go!"
• The chance to place! I placed third in my age group! Yeah. I was the 6th female finisher overall and 3rd in the 20-29 age group. 

Just so you know, if I'd been in the 15-19 age group, I would have blown away the competition by a whole minute. That's one of the great things about distance running, many runners peak in their thirties. While [Husband] is worried about turning thirty (really, I'm not kidding, he's sort of freaking out), I'm looking forward to starting the ten best years of my running career.


In the car home from the race, I was simultaneously delighted with my time, and also kicking myself because if I'd run about 16 second faster, I could've placed second. I ran a 24:31 (gun time only on the results page, so 24:39), which is a 7:54 pace and my best 5k by about 50 seconds.

I'm signed up for the Annapolis Striders Women's Distance Festival 5k in July.  Today, I started stalking the 20-29 age group results from 2011 to see what it might take to place. Between now and July 16 I need to figure out how to take another minute and a half off my 5k. :)

Annapolis Strider's Women's Distance Festival 2011 Results

Female	20 to 29
First	Place	00:20:56.92	F	23
Second	Place	00:23:07.34	F	27
Third	Place	00:23:17.38	F	29