Just my luck, another race that was too short to claim a PR. I’m starting to think it’s me. (Read about my last marathon being an entire mile short.)
Oh well, despite the Superhero Showdown course being only 2.7 miles, it was still good to get out and practice running fast. I averaged 5:57 minutes/mile for the 2.7 miles, which would have put me at a 18:29 finish. My current PR is 19:20 set during the summer of 2013, so I KNOW I will be able to break that in two weeks at the Alaska Heart Run.
My friend, Erin, and I ran the course Wednesday afternoon before the race, so we knew what to expect since it was a new race for the both of us. (This was only the second year for the race.) It wasn’t the fastest course as you run out and back, then out and back again, with a third out and back perpendicular to the main course. There were 7 turns on the course with 4 hairpin turns, so I thought it was hard to get in a good groove and run fast the whole time.
Erin was 3rd for the women!
The 5K started 5 minutes late as they were waiting for the little kids to finish their race. This didn’t bother me so much. As soon as the race started, I tucked in behind my friend Hallidie for the entire race. On the second loop, I knew the turn-around was at mile 2, but when we turned around at approximately 1.8 miles, I knew things weren’t right. From what I could tell, the lead truck turned around too soon and of course everyone followed.
I felt pretty good throughout the entire race despite being in the midst of an 85 mile week. I ran hard, but when I crossed the finished line, I wasn’t as spent as I should be for a 5K. Like I said earlier, I found it hard to get in a good groove without the turns, and then when we weren’t turning, we were going uphill or downhill. If anything, this only makes me more excited for the Heart Run in a couple of weeks.
I ended up placing 2nd for the women and 3rd overall. (It was a small race geared towards families.)
My cheerleaders. Have I ever mentioned how much Craig LOVES to dress the same as myself and/or Cullen?
I love when they come and watch me run races.
I highly recommend this race to families and little kids! There were bounce houses, food trucks, music, and a very family-friendly atmosphere. In hindsight I should have pushed Cullen in the stroller for his race debut!
