The first 5K of my 2013 running season came with the snow-delayed Mrs. Robinson’s Romp, a Trail Nerds event referencing both a series of cougar sightings in Kansas and of course that Mrs. Robinson.
After a rough start in last month’s muddy, hilly Psycho WyCo Run Toto Run 10 mile event I was dearly looking forward to a good run to boost my bruised ego and kick start my bruised body.
I got that today.
My oft trained in but never raced in new(er) shoes got their inaugural race today and by the look of them they are pleased with their first outing.
Last night I cooked a delicious (if I say so myself) pre-race meal of pork steaks, grilled zuccinni and mushrooms, black beans (mistakenly bought refried), and bread. My wife and I, along with our friend James, sat out on the deck enjoying nearly 80 degree temperatures. This morning’s run took place on a breezy, cloud-covered 41 degree day. Twas chilly. Took a good long while to warm up, but once I did I was grateful for the temps as it was good weather to run in.
We had gotten an email prior to race day that the track was dry and fast and that thrilled me no end. This was a return to the beginning of sorts for me as the very first run I took part in last year after making life style changes to lose weight and get healthy was the 2.8 Summer Intro run on this same (mostly) trail. I remembered parts of it which gave me even more confidence to just go for it. We had a really nice crowd and a LOT of dogs. It always amazes me to see well trained dogs running the course.
I told Mary that my prediction after the last race was to finish somewhere in the 30’s and I was thrilled to round that last curve to see the number “26” heading the timer. I ended up finishing in 26:34 minutes for a roughly 8:34/mi time. My best time, I believe, on a full 5K is 8:24 so I was more than thrilled with this result. I felt good at the finish and several hours later feel that dull, pleasant (no, I’m not kidding) pain from a good running effort. I look forward to using this as fuel to push me to have a great running season, and one where (in the repeat runs) I will hopefully set new PR’s. After the 5K finish Mary and I stood around talking with my friend Theresa’s husband Mike. Mary and I were about to leave and we looked up from the car to see Theresa coming down the final hill and where able to run over and congratulate her as she crossed the finish line of the 10K.
I appreciate Ben Holmes and all the volunteers who got out tremendously early on this very chilly morning to make this such a pleasant race. Thanks also to all the workers who cleared the trails of all the brush and trees felled during the two enormous dumpings of snow we had in late February. I’m so proud to be a Trail Nerd as they really are an exceptional group of people.
“In running, it doesn’t matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say, ‘I have finished.’ There is a lot of satisfaction in that.”
-Fred Lebow, New York City Marathon co-founder
(Photo courtesy of See KC Run)
Congrats yet again!!! 😀
80 degrees yesterday??? That’s crazy!
Thank you! 🙂
Yes, it was crazy. We had two gorgeous days in a row and now back to being cold, gray and potentially rainy/snowy. Yesterday the forecast for this Thursday, Mary’s birthday, was 55 and sunny. Now there is a chance for snow. Very crazy last gasp for Winter.
Theresa–is she the runner I met when I attended your half marathon with Mary last year? She is wonderful and she made me feel so welcome! (Theresa, I mean. We all know Mary is wonderful.)
Congratulations on the better than expected results in today’s event. I was out mid-morning and it was definitely chilly with enough breeze to cut through a couple of layers. I know running in the cold isn’t your favorite.
Yes Nick, that is she. I had forgotten that you guys had met in November. She is a very nice lady, and her husband was a lot of fun to meet and talk to today.
Thanks! Cold with no wet isn’t a bad thing at all. Cold, muddy and wet? Not my favorite.
Great job buddy! Glad to hear the good results. Wether was a bit chilly today though. I hope things warm up for us soon. I’m so sick of winter.
I will also add that of course it was dry his weekend. The Boy Scout and I weren’t camping this weekend. 😉
Thanks! Yes, I too am ready for Winter to make its goodbye.
I do thank the Scouts for their endeavors in ensuring that we did not have rain this morning. 🙂
Congratulations! Between Amanda and you, I feel so ashamed that I am at my heaviest weight ever and hope that some of your motivation and your inspiring stories will get me moving. Here’s to a great running season!
Thank you so much! Amanda is super inspirational, that is for certain. I’m big on baby steps having seen the results that just small changes made for me at the start of this journey. Switching away from soda was HUGE, for example.
Congrats on your race! It’s been fun and inspiring to be a part of your adventure. Keep up the good work! You are awesome!
Thank you so much Tammy!
My mom worked hard to get this race named after her…
Ha! 🙂 And I would assume she deserves a medal for the hardship of raising you.
I am glad to see that your “obsession” is still in tact and ready for another season :o)
Yes indeed!
Good for you! And 80 degrees the day before. I am so ready for summer weather. I’m thinking of signing up for a 10k this summer. Haven’t pulled the trigger yet, but you are one of my inspirations. I started running again a few months ago and now I actually look forward to my runs and don’t dread them. Thank you for all of your wonderful posts on running.
I’m far from ready for summer. If it could be warm like it was Friday without the humidity and the bugs then I would be okay with it. For now I am ready for Spring. Temps around 70, sun, cool breezes, things growing.
And thank you. I’m glad to be back to scheduling races and getting back into a training groove.
Our summers are quite different. It doesn’t get that hot in London–at least it didn’t last year. Spring temps are not warm enough for me yet. We’ll see how this year goes. when I was in Boston I hated the humidity and mosquitoes. Mosquitoes love me though.
I don’t enjoy the buggy aspects of spring/summer. Mosquitoes and spiders and flies and stinging insects. Ants invading the house, etc. If we could do away with that and the humidity I think Summer would be more enjoyable, like it was when I was a kid and didn’t care so much about those things.
Then again, running certainly helped me enjoy summer in ways I hadn’t in a long, long time.
Awesome job! Now that it’s warming up, I hope we get to hear about more run??