Singleton 5K Race Recap: Best. Weekend. Ever. !!! :)

Saturday
Distance - 3.1
10% goal - under 27
50% goal - PR (under 27:37)
90% goal - under 28

Time: 26:48 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can honestly say that this was UNPLANNED, UNPRECEDENTED, and COMPLETELY blew my MIND! Why?  1.  Because I had worked really, really hard for a good long bit to work up to my last 5K PR very recently. 2. that course was flatter and faster, and 3. Women's 5K was a complete bust, 4. under 27 would be almost a full minute faster than anything I had ever done. 

So mentally, I was only aspiring toward "probably not this time, but I want to start chipping away at the possibility of under 27 for some time in 2016."  So I just don't know where my mental game came from this am!

Oh wait .. yea, I do.  .. 

I absolutely ***HEART*** this guy!!! :) 

I made the unfortunate (read VERY fortunate) mistake of quasi-posting my 10% dream goal on a page for all the tribe to see.  Before I knew it, not only was I running with a speed demon.  But apparently speed demon was unsure of her own prowess, so she had recruited speed demon to the nth to also run with us.  Whaaaaat?? (Sub-25 Women's 5K.  Yea, I result-check on introduction to new friends.  Soo?? Haha).  Luckily, I was tired Friday night when I found all this out, so I still managed to sleep ..  but I am fairly certain that the last thought I had before light's out was:  I am going to die tomorrow.

Never-the-less, the fear of running a mile PR, and then walking 2.1 didn't out-way the motivation to try.  Cuz ...

I did a few new things in the AM.  I woke up a bit earlier than my usual 1/2 hour before needing to leave the house.  I ate a piece of toast with Nutella, and two sports beans an hour before leaving the house instead of 1/2 hour.  I also ran through some stretching at the house.  Finally, I ran about a 1/2 mile with Angelina (aforementioned speed demon), right before the race.  All of these will have to become part of my regular routine; I felt much better for each, and had absolutely no pain.  

At some moment before corralling, coach extraordinaire Jerry decided that having just been sick, he didn't need to push this one.  So he thought he'd run with me, Angelina & Shelly.  Noooooooooo pressure .. riiiiiiiiiiiiightt! Haha.

Well, oh. em. gee.  How friggin amazing to run a race where another person can chat, but knows that you can't.  And stays with you.  And sings to you ... haha!   And just basically says anything they can to keep you with them!  The time just FLEW!!  It was serious magic.  What a gift. <3

Sunday
Distance - 13.1
Pace - 10:28 avg pace

Two beyond measure fantastic runs in one weekend?  Yes, please!

I felt sooo good, and seriously strong this entire run.  Mainly because I never tried to push the pace early.  I stayed with the pod, and let myself just enjoy running.  No pressure.  That actually gave me a much faster end time than when I did solo 12 two weeks ago.

Michele and I took it up a notch for the final three, but besides that, I really stayed very comfortable.  At the end, the push felt good and right.  We finished the last couple of miles under 10, and.1 at like at 8:30, which was wicked fun to still have! :)

It was flat, the scenery was to die for, weather perfect, and the company, amazing.  By far, one of my favorite long runs in a good long time.

 After the run, we had enough energy for all of this ...

 And this below (before picture of the garage I spend hours cleaning).  HOURS.  After 13.1.  (The after picture is due .. but my husband has a 'do not touch' pile he needs to work on himself.  My car can fit in the garage, though .. so you can imagine! :) )

My legs were beyond beat. But if the Chicago race gods deem it so, I am for sure thinking that this is good indication that I just might be ready for a little more torture .. er .. training.

#3moredays !!!