my "first day of school" pic pre-run
Well ladies and gentlemen, I did it!
On October 27, I made the fateful decision to sign up for the Shamrock Run 5k.
And yesterday, I owned those 3.1 miles!!
My goal was to run the entire race and to be under 35 minutes. My time – 33:16!
It was one of the most scary & thrilling things I have been a part of. And it just goes to show that you can accomplish anything. Four months ago, I thought running was impossible. But somehow through determination and training, I kicked some 5k butt!
I woke up Sunday morning super nervous (and thankfully not hungover!). Steven and my dad came to the race to support me and trust me, I loved having my cheerleaders! I was able to spot my dad at the starting line, which totally gave me the confidence boost to go out there and rock it!
A sea of green!
The 5k race was super crowded. About 9,069 runners finished the 5k with an average time of 36:54. I started in the back of the pack and soon found myself weaving between slower runners/walkers (super annoying, new pet peeve.) It was stressful, but by the time I got to the turn around to mile 1 by Union Station, I picked a nice pace and was clear of any traffic.
Running beer
The race was going by so fast! I was loving everyone’s costumes (I am now determined to get a tutu for my next fun run!) I also loved the course, which took you all through downtown. Things got a little tough once we hit Broadway. I wasn’t aware of this, but going south on Broadway is a little hill. Thanks hill for ruining my special love moment with the course! I kept going, but my legs were beginning to burn and my pace slowed. A spectator saw me and pointed straight at me and yelled “You! You can do it!” Thanks man in the white hat, you rock!
courtesy of my amazing boyfriend!
I turned the corner from the killer hill and there were Steven and my dad cheering me on! What a great way to finish the last little leg of the race! I started strong and I finished strong and that’s all I could have asked for. I saw Bridget at the finish line and we literally jumped into each other’s arms. Epic moment! I then saw my cheerleaders at the finish, rooting me on.
Afterwards, I grabbed my finisher’s beer and enjoyed my small moment of glory. I then realized I was starving (a 5k can do that to you), so we went with a couple friends to brunch. Between a mimosa, great friends, and a stack of pancakes, I felt like I was the Queen of the Shamrock Run.
Thanks to everyone for their support! After the race, I looked at my phone and had so many text messages and calls from my wonderful family and friends asking me about the race! It’s great to know I had all of you cheering for me!
Now on to the next one… the Hippie Chick Quarter Marathon on May 12!
2012 Shamrock Run 5k stats:
Way to crush that goal! It sounds like you had a lot of fun, and more importantly you now share my pet peeve: weaving in and out of the crowd. HA! Congratulations on a race well run and here’s to a successful Hippie Chick in May!
Great job!
Congrats!!! I had the opposite problem… I started wayyy back in the pack because I knew I was going to start really slow and then out of nowhere came all these fast runners. The cranky part of me wanted to trip them
So glad that you had fun!!!
Congratulations! You beat your goal, and you have a wonderful team of friends and family cheering you on!
Go Roya!!! So happy for you! Can’t wait to finally meet you guys
Loved this recap! Way to own that goal! Looks like you are on your way to bigger challenges….you should be very proud:-)
AWESOME JOB!!! Your time was great!
Girl, I cannot believe I haven’t told you this yet, but CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so proud of you for doing this. You kick SO MUCH ASS.
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