Girls on the Run 5k

I won a free entry to the Girls on the Run 5k through my running club. My friend Casey was a coach in the program and I thought I might use the entry to be a running buddy to one of her girls, but they actually had more buddies than girls so I decided to race it. I was hoping I wouldn't have to run super hard to win, since I was a week off of the Frisco Marathon.

I struggle with vertigo from time to time, and I had an episode begin over a week before Frisco, 2 weeks before this race. I'm actually convinced it's somehow brought on by decreasing my mileage, because of the 5 times I've had issues with it, 3 have been during marathon tapers and 1 was when I had an imbalance issue and had to greatly reduce my running (I can't remember what was going on the other time so it could have also been a lower mileage time). If any ENTs or neurologists want to do a study on me, I'm willing! It didn't bother me too much at the beginning of this episode and I don't think it hurt me at Frisco, but coming off of Frisco it worsened and I couldn't lay down, which meant my sleep was poor which is not great for marathon recovery. Through many associated events, I ended up at Urgent Care for 4 hours after work the day before the GOTR 5k. I went to bed that night thinking I probably wouldn't be able to go.

Urgent Care was somewhat helpful though, and I woke up feeling okay enough on Saturday morning that I knew I'd be fine to run easy at the least. Since I had won the free entry that several people wanted, I also felt obligated to go, even if I needed to jog it. I drove to the race figuring I'd do just that. I really didn't care about winning any more.

As I warmed up for 4 miles and threw in several 0:20-0:30 pick ups, I felt decent and only a bit uncoordinated/clumsy. I saw two awesome masters women I know, Missy and Rosie, at the starting area. I asked them what they were doing and they said 7:00ish pace and I kind of invited myself to join them.

Start - I promise I was not glaring at a child!

The 3 of us early

After the young girls who sprinted out slowed down, the three of us were leading. I didn't look at my watch but the pace felt very manageable - definitely not 5k effort, which I was thankful for. I figured it was right around 7:00 as they'd said. Rosie encouraged Missy and I to go do our own thing, but she stayed pretty close behind us. I just stayed with Missy, and she encouraged me to do a progression run. I asked her if she wanted to finish together holding hands, which I thought would be fun, plus we would still get overall and first masters. She didn't want to do that and again encouraged me to push the end. I asked if she wanted to push mile 3 and she told me to go and she'd try to latch on, so when we passed the 2 mile mark I did. The environment on the course was so fun and supportive, and it was a fun race to lead! I came in overall female in at 20:57 after running Garmin splits of 6:50, 6:50, 6:11 (I forgot to lap at the finish so I don't know my final 0.1 but I imagine it was about the same pace as mile 3).

The 3 of us a little later

My second lap w/ bike escort looking back

The course was certified, which is hard to come by for 5ks around here, and weeks before the race I'd considered giving it all I had (prior to Frisco and vertigo!). Ultimately I was glad this didn't pan out because there were a lot of turns and awkward sidewalk to road transitions, and since it was 2 loops we had to dodge a lot of people in the final mile (also it started at 10:00 a.m. and was 76*, we know how I feel about that!). There is no way I had a good 5k in me that day mentally or physically so it all went the best it could have, but I hated that I "wasted" a 5k that was actually a 5k! 

However, I'm glad I got to take part in a fun event for such a great program. For my win I got a free entry to next year's race so I'll be back!

Results are here (for sure the most decimal places I've ever gotten in a race time at 20:57.111), my Strava activity is here.

Great handmade card

Casey ran with the girls she coached
& Missy ran mostly with me!