April 17 - Chase the Gorilla - It was a misty, chilly day but turned out to be great for getting so near a new PR! Just 30 sec off my personal best. Turned out that a friend and I ran together the whole way, pushing each other to do 8:40s for all three miles! After the first mile, I said to her, I think we're going too fast... But we just kept trucking along at the same pace and it felt good! I finished in 26:50 or so. Here's a pic:
It was a great race followed by warm coffee and refreshments at my place for all involved...minus the gorilla!
April 19 - Lexington 5 Miler - It was a gorgeous day! Couldn't have asked for a nicer day. Really. Sunny and 60. I finished in 45min flat. That's a 9:00 min/mile pace. A whole 45sec faster than last year. Hot dog! I think it helped to know the course, the hills and turns and all that. Definitely makes a difference mentally! No pics from this race... Random fact: Muskets are VERY loud (that was the "gun" that started off the race). Oh, I must note that this race was also run by 5 people from my church, including our senior pastor. It was fun to have some familiar faces at the finish line!
April 24 - Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon - After arriving in Louisville, my brother and friend, Anne, picked me up and we headed straight to the expo to get our bibs and swag. The swag left a LOT to be desired. It was not my most favorite expo ever attended either. But I was able to pick up some Gu's, I'd forgotten my stash at home and needed one while running the half...they didn't provide any on the course. Ben and I went for a 4.5 miler that evening in a park that had two giant hills. It was a great workout but, man, was it humid! I was not ready for that... Turns out race day was also humid but cooler than I'd anticipated. It was about 55 deg early in the day with misty rain. By the 5mile mark the clouds and rain disappeared and we had nice sunshine! The first half of the race was great, I was enjoying the scenery and the few spectators. By the time I hit mile 8 and had eaten my Gu I was feeling less than fresh. At mile 10, I was done! I really was hoping for the finish line asap. I somehow gutted out the last three miles, walking more than I care to admit to you. Finally we rounded the corner to the finish line. Thank goodness was the only thought in my mind. After a winding finishers chute (where they made up for no swag and no Gu...TONS of food and drinks here!!!), I made my way over to the runner reunite area to find my friends and to wait for my brother. My final time was 2:14:34. Ben's time was 2:20:11. Below are a couple pics.
Bibs!!
Nearing the finish line - Hooray!
Over all it was an awesome week, three great races and awesome friends to share them each with. I took some time off of training so as to not burn out before gearing up for my marathon training program. Which was supposed to start last night...um, but instead will start tonight. ;)
Marathon #2, here I come!
Marathon #2, here I come!
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