Divas Half Marathon 5K Race Day!

Today was the Divas Half Marathon 5K race.  I woke up at 5:30 and ate some cereal and a banana.  Then we headed out.  The street parking was already filled up so hubby dropped the boy and me off on the other side of the park where the race started.  I dropped my phone getting out of the car but it seemed ok. We walked across the foot bridge which dropped us at the entrance to the park.  It was a sea of pink.  Runners were coming from every side converging on the park.  We made our way to the start and waited for hubby to show up after parking the car.  The half marathon runners started before us and there were a lot of them so it took a while to clear the course for the 5k. So 5k started a few minutes late. There were so many 5K runners that they had us start in 3 waves.  Fortunately I was in the second wave.  It was a little confusing at the start.  The first wave went then the guy didn’t call the second wave to start but everyone started moving forward.  There was some wave 3’s starting to move. Finally the announcer said just wave 2’s are starting.

It took a while to find hubby. I wasn’t getting his texts. We got together a few minutes before the race start and it turned out that the sim card was dislodged in the phone. My boy could fix it, of course, had to remove the battery to do it. So I was trying to reboot my phone and get my running append music player to start while I was shuffling in the crowd to the starting line.  Finally got them to start.  I started off a little fast. My upper rib cage was starting to hurt.  I got discombobulated with my running app, music player and the second wave hadn’t started lining up but already on the move.  All the runners passed me.  I was the only slow runner in the bunch.  I was running with the walkers who were very annoying.  They were passing me and then they would slow down.  The young girls ahead of me kept stopping to take pictures. Selfies, of course.  The ladies with the strollers almost ran me over. I finally settled in and before I knew it I was at the mile one marker. I found out my running app wasn’t working because it didn’t tell me that I was at mile one or what my splits were.  So I pressed on.  I got to the turnaround for the 5K and started heading back.  The 2 mile marker was at the water station and before we headed onto the path.  After that I knew it wasn’t that long until the finish line.

It was hard being bunched up with the walkers going over the little foot path and the bridge.  After the bridge the path opened up.  Right near the finish line was the tiara and boa station. Some lady and her kid were just standing in front the table so I couldn’t get my tiara and boa.  Finally got it then a little ways down I spotted hubby and the boy.  I crossed the finish line in 57:48.  That was faster than I thought I would be.  I thought I was running really slow.  Not bad for my first 5K run.  At the finish line they had shirtless firemen giving us our medals but I couldn’t get anywhere near them because of the walkers in my way.  Finally a cute fireman gave me my medal.  Unfortunately I didn’t get to have my picture taken with him.  There was a big mob of us moving forward.  We got our roses, then our glass of champagne.  Were stuck in a bottle neck waiting to get to the food station where they bananas, apples, pretzels, bagels and cookies.  Got through then I was trying to eat some food and drink my water but I had my hands full so I gave some of my food to hubby to hold.

It was a fun race but I am really, really, sore.  You would think that I ran the half marathon.  LOL!  Never did catch up with my friend who was running the half.  Next year I will be faster so I won’t be lumped in with the walkers.

T-Minus 1 Week Divas Half Marathon 5K

T-minus 1 week until the Divas 5K.  Winding down my training runs this week.  I ran the course a couple of times to get a feel for it.  Next week I will be tapering off and doing smaller runs. 

After 3 months of running I am starting to see some results, I am developing muscles in my legs, weight has gone down a little, I run better, my metabolism has increased a little and I’m lighter on my feet.

I’m nervous about the race I don’t think I’m ready to run it. Hubby thinks I will be able to run the whole distance.  I’m excited to be running my first 5K race. I think I should be able to run the whole 3.1 miles without walking. 

T-Minus 4 Weeks

T-Minus 4 weeks until the Divas 5K race.  Yesterday my hubby and I did a trial run on the race course so I could get a feel for it and so I would know where everything was.  See where the parking is and how the course goes. I have been running for 45 minutes for 2.25 miles.  I ran for 30 minutes to the 1.55 mile turn around but I had to walk back.  I just didn't have the energy to keep running.  It was a little warm.  This was the first time I tried to run the 3.1 miles.  Earlier in the day we walked to the boys school because they had a 5K race in the morning and a carnival afterwards.  They had the carnival on the field above the school so that is a nice little climb up there.  The boys dance company was performing a sneak peak dance from the upcoming show in 2 weeks so we stood around on the black top waiting for them to come on.  I think climbing up the hill, standing around and the heat did me in.  Hubby and I are going to do another trial run on the course again next week. Hopefully I will be able to run the whole course.  I hope I will be able to run the whole 3.1 miles on race day.  My goal is to run it without stopping to walk some of the course.

Count Down To Divas Half Marathon 5K

T-Minus 5 weeks until the Divas 5K.  I have been slowly adding more distance to my runs.  I am up to 2.25 miles.  Next week I will add some more distance so I will be able to run the 3.1 miles on race day.  My body is sore after increasing my distance to 2.25  miles.  Next weekend I am going to run the race course so I can get a feel for it. The last week before the race I will be tapering off my runs and do some small runs so my muscles don’t stiffen up before the race.  My goal is to be able to run the 3.1 miles without stopping on May 1.  I recently found out that one of the ladies I know from church is also training to run the Divas race but she is doing the half marathon.

Some days are easier than others to run.  I haven’t gotten to the point where I can run without getting out of breath or my legs and feet from feeling like they have lead in them.  At some point it’s got to be easier and not feel like I am just starting out running every time.  Do you ever get to the point where you can just run without it feeling like you are just starting out running after being a couch potato for years? My husband says it's because I'm increasing the mileage every week so it's always a longer distance then I run before.

Training For A 5K Race

I was looking for a 5K race to run in May with my hubby but I couldn’t find any local ones in May. After looking at a lot of races I signed up for the  Divas Half Marathon.  What girl doesn’t want to feel like a Diva?  I will start to train for it since I’m not a runner and I don’t exercise regularly.  August of last year I started the C25K program and got as far as the last week but then I got sick, the holidays came up, etc.   Excuses, excuses… I have gone out running a few times since January but not on a regular basis.  I am going to get on a regular run schedule so I can work up to running 3.1 miles.  I will be running this race by myself. I have until June to train so that should be plenty of time to get up to running 3.1 without having to walk in between.

I’ve been eying this race since last year when I ran across someone’s blog that was going to run it in San Juan Puerto Rico.  There have been a lot of good reviews of the race.  I was trying to decide between the See Jane Run, Divas Half Marathon and the Mermaid Race.  I choose the Divas one because it is close.  The See Jane Run is a little too far.  I am still going to the Mermaid Race which is in San Francisco.  It sounds like a lot of fun.  These are all women centered races. Should be fun.  I've done 5K races before but I have never run one so I'm excited about my first running race.