Back to the Scene of the Crime: Turkey Trot 2011

The Turkey Trot last year was my first race. Since then I have only done a 10k and then the 5 miler for the same Turkey Trot this year. 

My 5k was steady and I ran the whole thing, which, at the time was the farthest I had run without stopping. It was a success. 

I then ran a 10k at the end of last may. I went out too fast and felt horrible after it. I learned a valuable lesson about racing that I knew beforehand, but I needed to experience it for myself.

This year, I was going to just do the 5k Turkey Trot with hopes of beating my time last year, but there was a new 5 mile option, and I have this strange liking of running 5 miles. Nothing more, nothing less. So, I decided to go for it. 

I had followed a very loose and not intense 'training schedule' for a goal race pace of 8:59, and that was my goal. Unlike the previous two races where I had the goal I tell people (sub 33 min for the 5k and sub one hour for the 10k) and the secret goal that is a little far fetched that I didn't want to share (sub 30 min for the 5k [success] and sub 55 min for the 10k [not success]), I just had one goal. Due to some confusion of how close to 5 miles the course would actually be I decided to have a goal pace, not a goal time: sub 9 min/mile pace. It was that or nothing.

I could say things about the course and what was going through my head during the race, but it now seems like all a blur. I do know that one of the songs in my playlist was corrupt and it stopped at the beginning even though it said it was still playing. I have no idea when my music stopped... I didn't realize it until way after I was finished. 

For about the last half of the race, I followed a girl right in front of me and just used her to keep pace with. Not the most effective method but it turned out well and she was going at what felt good for me. I wouldn't have followed her if it didn't feel like a good pace.

I sprinted right at the end and crossed the finish line at 4.93 miles on my Garmin. My official time was 43:31 and 8:43 pace, but my real pace was 8:48. Which was way better than I ever expected. It was amazing! And, I felt great after the race!

I wanted to immediately sign up for the Bayshore half marathon! December 1st at 8am I am all over that!

I start 'training' Monday for the DC Half Marathon! I guess I should finish up my training schedule!