Purple 5k Race Recap complete with confessions

I signed up for the Purple 5k on Monday on a whim.  My running plan called for a very fast tempo run and I knew that if I did my tempo run during a race it would feel a lot easier.  I didn't think about it much for the rest of the week.  I didn't set goals.  I didn't obsess over my race outfit.  I even contemplated skipping it.  Yes you read that right.  I was thinking about skipping a race I signed up and paid for.

Why?  Because when I did my long run Wednesday I kept having a funny niggle in my right quad.  When I ran my 4 miles of hills Saturday I had no pep.  No pep, no energy, I felt tired.  and I had that niggle towards the end of the run. Saturday night we had a 4-H thing that kept me out late and I was tired.

The morning of the race I slept in.  Heck, I didn't even know what time the race started when I got up in the morning.  Who does that?!  I made coffee at 7 and shook out the race bag to try to figure out when it started.  The most I could find was shuttles to the start line would start heading up there at 7:30.

It takes me about 30 minutes to drive into town to where the race was.

I finally figured out the race started at 9 and decided to just park at the start line.  I wiggled, stretched and tested out my quad. It felt good.  I ate some oatmeal, got dressed and left.

I got to the race with enough time to cycle through the porta potty once and run a warm up mile

I sized up the other runners guessing which ones would be fast by their shoes.  I didn't see any other local runners there I knew.  Seemed kind of funny, but I haven't done too many local races the last 2 years.

The gun went off and the usual beeps were heard coming as everyone started their Garmins.  I held myself back a bit and let the people fly by, I sort of love that about the start of a race.  So many people start out so fast.  It is fun to pass lots of those people later on.

I tried for the whole first mile to shake some clompy footed guy who was really annoying and loud as his feet pounded the pavement.  He was pretty tenacious, but I finally shook free from him at the end of the second mile.

I also noticed I was gaining on three other girls.  I set my sights on the first one and started reeling them in.  I did get passed by another girl who went flying by, but I did catch three in the last mile, the final one not until the very end.    I saw the clock in the 20:20s as I was getting nearer and it didn't even occur to me I was close to a PR.

My official time was 20:32.  1st in my age group and 2nd female overall.    After I got my printout I had to look up my PR in the 5k.  It has been so long since I got close I couldn't even remember what it was!  It was 21:11.    I had to walk away by myself for a little minute as I was having watery eye problems.

I nearly had myself talked out of running and I crushed it.  I set my 5k PR in 2011.  4 years ago. It feel so good to beat it.  My Garmin had the race at 3.07 miles for a pace of 6:41 a mile vs the official of 6:37 a mile.  Either way though it is still a PR.  My previous 5k PR pace was 6:46.  Edit:  I just read the recap from that 5k and it was slightly short also and if it were a full my pace would have been 6:51 so.. I freaking crushed it today.

I ran in my new Altra One 2s  and am so in love with them.  They may be my new lucky fast shoes!

When was the last time you accidentally PRd?  Do you count the PR if the course is short?  I am  going to, especially since the pace is what really crushed it.
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