A 5K race feels so short when it follows a half marathon and a 15K!
After our distance training, we decided to throw a 5k into the mix. St. Patrick’s Day seemed like a logical day to run and the 5K we found was conveniently located a few blocks from where we live. Not only that, but the Harvey’s 5K and 1 Mile Run/Walk benefitted the art and music programs in Pinellas County Schools – certainly a worthy cause.
We have done absolutely no speed training since we began training for the half marathon a few months ago, so we didn’t have high expectations for the 5k. We arrived donning our green Gasparilla 15k shirts and, after affixing our race bibs to our shirts and the race chips to our shoes, we watched the 1 mile group kick off at 7:45 am. About 5 minutes before our scheduled 8:00 am departure, everyone gathered at the start line. Our race took us through Vinoy Park, a small section of Historic Old Northeast, and along the Pier. It was a scenic and familiar course.
I felt decent during most of the race, but I had no energy reserves available during the last half-mile to push for a stronger finish. Between my IT band problem that finally seems to be under control and the recent emphasis on distance running, I was just hoping to finish under 30 minutes.
My official chip time was 29:30 – a 9:34 pace. I finished 196/428 overall (top 46%), 78/258 of females (top 30%), and 16/45 of females in my age group (top 36%). Eric’s official time was 27:33 – an 8:56 pace. He finished 133/428 overall (top 31%), 90/163 of males (top 55%), and 11/17 of males in his age group (top 65%).
The race was short, sweet, well-organized, and a lot of fun!
