Race: Greensboro Distilling Speakeasy 5K on July 26, 2019
Goal: Did not have a goal in mind—just run the best I could that night. Of course, placing top 3 in my age group is always a goal too. This was my stepdaughter K’s first race, so I also wanted it to be a fun experience for her.
Gear: Oiselle bra & shorts, Smartwool socks, Altra Kayente, Garmin 935, and Whoop band. Since it was a night race, I added my reflective X vest, and Petzl headlamp.
Gut: This race was 2 months ago [now 5 months ago, ha!], so I really don’t remember what I ate—most likely rice, because that’s been working for me. Also had Nuun hydration because I drink it DAILY and love it!
Weather: Another hot one. In hindsight, I wish I would have brought ice or something to cool me down, because this was definitely steamy.
Pre-Race: I told K I wanted to warm-up a mile. We ended up doing 0.6 on the greenway, and getting some fun pics at the Duckhead building:
Then we hung out near the start line and ran into my neighbors L & E, and their friends B & J.
I did a bit more of a warm-up in the parking lot, then stood at the start giving advice to K. I thought maybe we’d run some or all of the race together, but I didn’t know how our speeds compared. She just got back from Army advanced training (AIT) a few weeks prior, and seemed super speedy, so I thought she’d probably leave me in the dust!
Race: We were lined up pretty far back, which didn’t help our positioning when the gun went off. As soon as we found space, we got separated, and I told her that we should just run our own races. I ended up in front of her, but figured she was right behind me. I tried drafting on some guys, to save energy, and felt decent heading into the turnaround, on the uphill section of Murrow Blvd, as it curves around close to where my company is. After I turned around, I saw K was maybe 20-30 seconds back. I told her good job, and kept at it. I’ve been fading a lot in mile 3 of my races, and this was no different. It was hot, dark, and I was very tired. I did the best I could to keep at it, knowing I was slowing down like crazy. I wished for music and a cold drink! Finally, I could see the finish, and passed several folks on the way to the line.
Results: Ran 25:31 for 3rd place age group out of 26. Full results here.
Recommend: While I didn’t care for the course much, it was decently flat (albeit boring!) without too many turns. I really enjoyed the T-shirt, medal, and award (glass), and also the very fun/cool vibe of running by the distillery. The awards ceremony was indoors, so it was late, crowded, and hot, but otherwise, I really enjoyed this one! And yay for K and I both winning an age group award!
Next up! The Pacific Crest Trail trip 🙂
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