We made it!! Matt and I successfully completed the Willistown Conservation Trust “Run-A-Muck” 5K race yesterday afternoon. The race ended up being longer than a 5k and it was SUPER hilly, but we finished!
My original goal was to beat 32 minutes (i.e. run 10 minute miles) so when I came over the last hill and saw the finish line clock at 35 minutes I was a little disappointed. That is, until Matt told me that his and other runners’ GPS running apps were saying that the race was more like 3.65 miles long. That means I DID meet my pace goal, woohoo!
In addition to meeting my goal I was also the 8th female and 34th overall to cross the finish line which was pretty cool and unexpected. Granted, there were only about 105 runners AND one of the females ahead of me was an 11-year-old girl, but eh… oh well! 🙂 (By the way, I learned that little kids can be ridiculous runners! I guess they just never get tired? Crazy!)
The course was tough… it took us through beautiful horse fields, around several ponds, up what seemed like a near-vertical climb in the woods (I walked it), and along a dirt road. I started out WAY too fast (7:30-8:00 mile, eek!) and then I paid for it on every single steep uphill climb after that, but it was a good learning experience and I think this will just make future races that much easier.
Overall, the race was hard but the feeling of accomplishment after crossing the finish line made it totally worth it. I’m already looking for another local 5K to enter in October… looking forward to it! 🙂
The Little GSP 