My speedy shoes!

On Sunday I ran a 5K PR of 23:02, good enough for fourth female overall (I thought I was third since spectators near the finish said I was but oh well!), first in my age group, and I won a turkey! Best.Prize.Ever.

Anyway, this was a really small 5K and it was run in conjunction with a larger 10-miler that my boyfriend ran (he also set a PR). The 10-miler goes up and over a mountain in our town and I wanted no part in that. Instead, I registered for the 5K as a way to test my fitness and see what kind of shape my legs were in a month after Chicago.

I was pleasantly surprised to have set a 1:50 PR off of my last 5K which was in April. Like I said, I went into this race just looking to test my fitness, but really, I wanted to set a PR and I wanted to win a turkey.

But, I had some other motives as well. The night before the race I told my boyfriend “it would be really cool to go under 24 minutes.” I think he didn’t want me to get my hopes up too much because honestly, I haven’t been running too much since Chicago. I’ve done a couple speed workouts, two “long” runs, and a bunch of easy runs, but that’s about it.

I had a feeling I might have some speed left and welp, during the race it came out. It felt so good to be running a race, actually racing a race, and moving fast. I don’t think I’ve truly felt that in my running life in the two years I’ve been at it.

So I’ve decided to spend the winter chasing after that feeling. Getting turnover in my legs. Doing speed workouts. Pushing my limits.

I don’t have a time goal or target paces. I just want to get that feeling I had on Sunday.

My next race is on November 29 at Shalane Flanagan’s Back the Track 5K in Marblehead. We’ll see what happens next!