RR: Armadillo 5K

I love this race.  You can watch my progress as an athlete just by looking at my results from years past.  Awesome.

This was the site of my first age group win.  It took my by surprise.  I didn't feel I was fast enough to win anything so I went home.  Missed all the glory.

Well, history repeats itself.  Not for first this time, but for third.

Short version:  24:42 for new 5K PR by a 10ish seconds.  First mile in 7:37 which just goes to show "it doesn't get easier, you just get faster".

The preliminary results listed me as 5/15.  No big deal.  I'm getting faster but not that fast yet.  Last year the top 3 in my age group finished under 23 minutes so I went home.

EXCEPT that two of the women in my age group won overall.  Which means I earned THIRD in my age group but I didn't wait around to get the award because the posted results said I finished out of the money. They did not post updated results before the ceremony so there was no way for me to know.  I'm sure the race director will send me the award but it would be nice to be present for once.

In fact, I was 12th woman overall (out of 158).  Live and learn.  Not too shabby.

I'm just really glad to prove that 24:55 was not a fluke.  Sub 25 is my new standard and there are great things in the works.  If I let my mind go, my body will follow.

This year I have been running plugged into the Matrix with every electronic toy I can get.  Funny thing is, after the first 1/2 mile, I don't "hear" them anymore.  I can't tell you any of the songs my Ipod played.  When my Garmin said 6:59 pace my reply was "Meh, nice number. Let's see how long it can last".  Maybe I did go out too fast.  But I don't care.  Every mile my body spends at those paces teaches it to go faster.  There was a time when 7:30 was "as fast as possible".  Now it's mile 1.

Most of the race was spent arguing with my internal committee.  They think I can't possibly hold this pace.  I'm thinking 7:37 for the first mile is faster than I've run in my life.  Go with it.  Followed up with a 7:54.  Yes, I faded to an 8:02 pace for the last 1.1 miles but there was no one around.  I'm not used to this.  There were no women to use as a bunny and not many men either.  The goal was to cling to life until the finish line.

Which I did.

12th woman overall.  Wow.