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Milton, Ontario, Canada

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Bread & Honey 5k Race Report

My friend and fellow blogger, Alan has spoken in the past about gumption here. He defines it based on the Pirsig definition and I fully embrace the way its been defined: "a combination of commonsense, shrewdness, and a sense of initiative."

Today, I had no gumption.

The race morning dawned at 0540 when the alarm went off and I headed to the washroom to dress, put on sunscreen and do my hair! Yes, Patty and Sam have really changed the way I view race attire. I wanted to look cute today, especially because I was wearing a skirt, but also because I figured I'd have a good chance of getting on the podium and I wanted to show those sports-bra-bum-hugger-wearing speedsters that fun outfits can also be speedy:
Skirt, two pigtails, thumbs up!
I ate breakfast and said goodbye to my husband (who has gone with the kids to visit his folks today), who asked, "So. Are you going to podium?" Har. Well. Um. It was in the back of my head.

I got to Streestville in plenty of time and immediately found my first photo opp at the start line:

Yes, 5ks are supposed to hurt, but for me this is not a profession, it is a hobby and at the end of the day, I run because I love it. Posing for a cheese-ball photo with a gigantic bee reminds me of that.

After that, I headed out for a 2k warm up at an easy and breezy 6min/km pace.

It was so humid, OMIGAWD.

I was dripping when I returned to chat with friends and visit the potty line one last time. I found Lyndsey and her husband, Dave. Dave and I headed toward the front as we wanted to run a similar time (22:30ish).

The race

And we're off. For the first time in my entire life, I elbowed the 'ish outta people at the start. My goodness I've never been pissed about runners improperly lined up at the start of the race and you can't really be mad in a community 5k like this, but if you're going to run a 6:30/km pace: DON'T LINE UP AT THE FRONT.

I will elbow you.

The course map

We headed out and cruised along down hill toward the 1k mark and I was doing fine. I saw my watch say 3:58/km pace at one point and I just breathed through that as we were running downhill at the time (I never did change the display so I saw Total Time, Total Distance, Lap Pace). Running along, see the 1k marker, see that my watch is lined up with the markers and that we're spread out now and I'm cruising trying not to think. I can see Dave in my peripheral vision and he's totally heeding his wife's advice to stay with me as long as it feels good. 

We head toward 2k and its fine. I don't look at my watch.

My breathing starts to get away from me.

I try not to think.

I see the cross streets but not the turn down to Church street and toward the end.

I think about my stupid, heavy breathing.

I call on the gumption gods.

They're busy with other people.

2.34km

I put my hand in the air and walk.

I don't even berate myself or anything. I just say to myself. "Okay Revoy, 10 seconds. Control the breathing. Let's go."

And I'm off again. 

We hit the turn toward Church street and I know that the water station is coming up. Last year, I flew through this station as I didn't need a drink. I was racing a bloody 5k! This year, my mouth felt as though I had spend 5 months in the desert and those volunteers with those plastic cups were an oasis of H2O perfection.

I walked through the station to drink.

Away again. We are back on Queen Street now and I know 4k is coming and I know that there is that slight hill. I also see that I can still make my PB. I can STILL DO IT!

Our father of gumption, hallowed be thy racing name...

Gumption god: I'm busy, Kid. Maybe next time.

I'm not proud to say I walked the end of that hill.

Away again. Screw this bloody race anyway! Screw this humidity and this sunscreen in my eye. Screw you sun for deciding to come out blasting now right at the end when I have no hat or sunglasess on.

Oh! Hi Eminem. I know, I know, Till I Collapse.

I head to the right side of the street where I know my Running Room friend Stephanie is, waiting to cheer us in and I run and run and run.

Then I see the finish and the clock: 24:00

Gumption god: I'm with you now, kid.

I kick and kick and kick.

24:37.

Tying my old PB.


Fourth place AG finish. 
That's right kids. I didn't get the PB, but I did advance in Age Group placement.

Here's the thing. If I had kept the pace up? If I had let myself have that shitty 3rd KM and then picked it up again? 

I would have podiumed.

Next time.
Yep, next time! What else can I say?

I had fun. I looked freaking awesome! I did the best I could possibly have done today.

Now, to work on that gumption:

4:29-4:33-5:10-5:06-5:03-0:18 (last 71 meters, 4:26/km pace)

Gun Time: 24:46
Chip Time: 24:37 (matching my current PB!)
Place: 110/676
Females: 33/433
AG: 4/48, F35-39

Next up? The start of the aggressive training plan toward an aggressive fall half marathon race.



6 comments:

  1. Great job out there Nicole. 5K's are the absolute worst and you gutted through it the best you could on this day. If you wanna give it another go there's always Moon in June next weekend. Emma & I are also doing the Canada Day 5K if you feel like joining us. You may not have podiumed but I bet you were the best looking one in your age group today! ;o)

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  2. Aww... getting up early to do your hair.
    I suppose the real question is, what was your real goal? I love your cheese-ball photos and whimsy and I think you do too! Does the podium matter that much to you? You're amazing and you know it!

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  3. I'm glad you had fun!! You'll get a PR next time! 5Ks are tough since there isn't a lot of room for "error", which is why I prefer longer distances (same for swimming).

    I love the bee photo, so cute!

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  4. Congrats Nicole, super fast race and great result. Oh and the outfit is awesome. You look terrific.

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  5. You did your best that day and that's what counts. 5ks are so unpredictable, no need to fret. The good thing about them is that you can repeat them every month if you want, unlike marathons where you need a lot more time to recover. So I won't be surprised to see you smash that PR sometime in the next few months. You are getting faster by the day and with the right conditions, the legs will come. You are cute as a button. <3

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  6. you had fun and still ran a great time! sometimes the brain is just not present for a race, but you tied your PB! that's awesome.

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Thanks for joining in the conversation!