Prevent Child Abuse 5K

Today was the day! My first EVER 5k race. I woke up sooo nervous and was tempted just not to go. I didn't feel like I could finish it without walking (I haven't run a whole lot lately), and I was just anxious in general. But  I got up, force fed myself some oatmeal and peanut butter, got ready, and we headed out.

Before the race, trying to stay warm (it was 27 degrees).

I have to say, I was really disappointed with the organization of the race. There were no bathrooms, the registration was a mess, and we didn't start until at least 10 minutes after the supposed start time. They had no way of telling us our times (I had to go ask), and the awards weren't given out at all. Additionally, the course was still open to traffic, which made for some issues as far as not getting run over. I definitely would not run this race again. It was a mess. Luckily, the money was being donated to charity, so I don't regret paying as much as I did.

Standing in the cold, freezing our booties off.

However, all of that aside, my personal running experience was amazing! I was careful not to start out too fast (I listened to music to help pace myself), and about halfway through, I started picking up speed and passing people. I did get one pretty awful side cramp, but a few steps of walking and some careful breathing fixed that.

Booking it to the finish line.

Before I knew it, I could see the finish line, and I really picked up the pace. I crossed the finish line with a time of 29:20, which obliterated my official goal of "just finish and don't die" and surpassed my secret hopes of coming in around 30 minutes. I couldn't be more thrilled! It was a really small race, so I actually managed to come in within the top 1/4-1/3 of runners.

The sun was in my face, but boy was I happy. Mainly because I could quit running. 

Woo! first 5k finished!

I rewarded myself with a delicious beverage (peppermint mocha), but I wouldn't recommend coffee right after a race. My stomach was not too happy with it. Won't be doing that again, even though it was soooo good (seriously, someone book me a spot in starbucks rehab. I can't afford this addiction).

Now I have the race bug and want to sign up for every 5k in the area. Is that normal? Anyway, my 5k was a resounding success. Now let's hope my Pchem exam went just as well! (err... unlikely)