On Saturday I was invited to participate in the Meijer LPGA 5K Run & Walk presented by Kellogg’s. It was my third 5K of the year and I think I’m starting to get addicted.
Many of the “serious” runners in the running club that DH and I are members of dislike 5Ks. Can’t really get your stride yet, they say. Hardly worth putting on running clothes to run just 3 miles, they say. Too bad, it’s a lot of fun I say!
This one was no different. Since it was sponsored by Kellogg’s (based in Michigan, for those of you not from here! Go local!) there were cereal box cutouts at the starting line and Tony the Tiger helped us find our way. When I arrived, it was a very low key atmosphere. Which was a good thing, because I was running late and arrived just 10 minutes before start time and had to pick up my packet yet. Oops. Luckily it was a smaller crowd than the other races (about 500, compared to 800 for Gazelle Girl and 3900 (!) for the Irish Jig). I didn’t have to park very far away at all. I had time to pick up my packet, bring my swag back to the car, hit the restroom, and saunter over to the start line without feeling rushed at all.
There were a LOT of teams, which is a great idea to get people coming out who don’t normally run. Or so I thought. This was my second race where I didn’t have anyone cheering me on (the last one, Gazelle Girl, DH was working an aid station). And I really don’t mind. I positioned myself towards the back, and when things started, I quickly realized that this was a crowd of serious runners. The kids in Burleys were passing me! Ugh! I decided to kick it up a notch. After mile 1 MapMyFitness told me that I was 11 something. Wow, I’ve been running 12 something average, sometimes 14 in this heat. And it was hot!
Must be the excitement of the race kept me going, because I managed to PR. Then again, as a new runner, I really should PR most of my races 😉 (PR is personal record).
Actually, the race went a little long, so DH says MapMyFitness is probably more accurate. I pushed it out at the end because they had us run around a track to finish and I didn’t want to look like I felt.
Now, I know that is probably really slow compared to most “real” runners, but I love what my friend Lisa always says. “Your race, your pace.” I’m just proud to be able to improve.
[bctt tweet=”I run my own race. I just aim to improve, to be better than I was before. That’s me and I’m free. ~ Unknown”]
After the finish line, they provided us a Grrreat breakfast (sorry, couldn’t resist) sponsored by Kellogg’s. I snagged a few extra Special K protein bars for the road. Now, after my weight loss surgery, I haven’t eaten cereal. You’re not really supposed to combine eating and drinking and it doesn’t fit the whole “protein first” rule. But, I decided I deserved it after running a race like that in the heat so I indulged in one of my all time favorite cereals.
What I shouldn’t have done was follow it up with a strawberry pop tart, because the sugar rush gave me a bit of a stomachache. Oh well, live and learn.
Overall, it was a great experience and a lot of fun.
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