Best.Race.Ever!

Don't you wish your girlfriend was hot like me??? OH YEAH!!!!

Ahhh, the month of May in Indianapolis....the sound of the race cars at the track...the smell of spring in the air.....40,000 people converging on Downtown to take part in the Mini and the 5K. Yes, today I took part in the 5K at the 500 Festival. First, let me tell you how amazing it was to walk out of my hotel and see this sea of humanity. People lining up in their corrals for the start of the Mini. It was a sight to behold. If you weren't excited about the race before you got Downtown, you certainly were once you saw all the people and got caught up in the party like atmosphere. Definitely one of the best races I have ever taken part in.
Anyhow, since I am not a distance runner/walker and I didn't give much thought to doing the Mini until after it was sold out, I participated in the 5K race. 4,000 runners/walkers all out there for 4,000 different reasons. My reason was just to beat my time from the Shamrock in March and I guess it was also to prove to myself I could really do this. I have never been a runner. I never understood why people ran....unless they were being chased, in which case, run like heck!! Then, I starting running and it sort of just made sense. It's just you and the course. I tune other people out around me. I get in the zone and it's always about beating my time from a previous day. Can I run a faster mile? Can I run longer without walking?

Today I went out there with the goal of running as much of the race as I could and beating my 13:41 mile pace from Shamrock. I thought, it would shoot for a 13:00 minute mile, a new record and try to finish the race in less than 45 minutes. I tend to have a really fast first mile, then I slow down in the second mile and make up ground in the final mile of the race. So, I was also trying to be a little more consistent. My first mile pace was around 13:10....a record for me!! I didn't want to get too excited because I still had 2.1 more miles to go. The second mile was another 13:00-13:10 mile! I was alternating running and walking, more running than walking, and I was really impressed that I hadn't blown that middle mile like I usually do. I was so determined to finish the race with my 13:00-13:10 mile pace, I kept plugging away. I kept thinking...isn't the finish line around here someplace?? It was great to have volunteers all along the course cheering and ringing their cowbells. (You can always use a little more cowbell, you know!) It was also great to have random bands playing. It kept me going. Since iPods were strictly verboten, I didn't have my training tunes to keep me motivated. I was a little upset when I got out there and many of the people had their iPods. I guess if you aren't going for the big prize money, they don't care if you wear an iPod. I will keep this in mind for next year.

Finally, I see the 3 mile sign....my body is aching and the sweat is pouring off of me. Surely, 1/10 of a mile isn't that long. How long does it take me to walk 1/10th of a mile?? Run it?? I can't remember anything by this time, all I know is I want to finish and I want to see the official race clock. The street was lined with people cheering and more cowbell ringing. I felt like I was in the Olympics. Then, the official clock came into view....I could see 39:00 and change....all I could think was, I could really set a personal best record today. It was a little overwhelming. Okay, it was a lot overwhelming. All these people were cheering, I had this sudden rush of adrenaline, and I pushed myself over the finish line at 40:31. I couldn't remember what the time was on the clock when I started, I thought it was about 30 seconds, so I figured, I finished in about 40 minutes. I was overjoyed. So overjoyed I had to hold back the tears. I made my way through the sea of people, got my timing chip cut off and got my cool 5K Medal and bag of snacks. I wanted an official portrait to mark this monumental occasion, so I had to stop and have my picture taken at the Finisher Photo area. I am sure I looked like a hot mess. I was a hot mess, literally! I didn't care. I had gone out there and done what I set my mind to, I ran about 75-80% of the course and I did it in 40 minutes. I had consistent times for each mile. It was a good race.

After walking back to my hotel and getting a good shower, I had the chance to look up the official results via the website. I was shocked when I pulled up my name and saw:

Official Time: 39:35:00
Pace: 12:47/mile
Overall Finish: 1899/4000 (in the top 47%...better than 53% of the people out there, not bad for a girl with short legs!!)
Division Place: 141
1067 out of all women participating

I would have done a little happy dance, but I was too tired. I was elated, to say the least! So, now it's time to start training for next year. I don't feel like I am ready for the Mini just yet....maybe another 5K. I think I will take a day off from training tomorrow. I need to rest a little. I also need to hydrate. Until next time, Diva Divine