Today I wrapped up a string of seven consecutive weekends of races! SEVEN. (I’m volunteering at one next weekend – first time for that! – but that’s different.)
This week’s race and last week’s were both 5Ks that I had the opportunity to run for free, so I jumped at the chance. It turns out that each race, in its own way, provided me with emotional and material perks and reminded me why I run.
THE PERKS OF GETTING OLDER: The Craig Heisey 5K (Nov. 4, 2017)
I’d run the Heisey a few times before, so I knew what to expect: primarily downhill on the way out (deceiving you into thinking you have a shot at a PR) but mostly uphill on the way back (a long, steep ascent followed up later by a long, slight, gradual incline that kills your PR hopes).
I really had no idea what to expect in terms of my pace, though. My recent half marathon (which I’ll in theory be blogging about soon) had indicated that I’m on the right path with my return to fitness, but I still have a ways to go. Oh, and I hadn’t run a 5K in quite a while, so I had no clue how fast I could or should be. I told myself that if I averaged 10-ish minutes per mile, that would be fine. But I had no idea if I was setting the bar too high or too low.
Race morning was chilly. At the last minute, I opted for a long-sleeve shirt instead of the short-sleeve option I usually wear for this race. And I was glad for that choice as I waited in the brisk November air before the race.
Mom was running the Heisey 5K too, and she and I met up with some of my co-workers for a group picture before the gun sounded.
And here we have (from left) yours truly, Mom, Emily, Clair, Jen, and Dennis. My pal Michele “just so happened” to miss the picture. (Also, my bib was crazy crooked. I think I realized it later and fixed it?)
Cool thing to note: As Mom and I were waiting for the race to start, I saw my middle school science teacher Mr. Werner, who was there to cheer on his wife! I hadn’t seen him in probably 17 years, so it was nice to catch up before and after the run.
When the race began, I was cautious about burning out too soon. I kept a steady pace on the way out, not pushing myself too much and instead just enjoying being out and moving. I warmed up soon, and I pushed my sleeves up, but I was still glad I’d gone with long sleeves. I hit the turnaround point at about 13:00, so I knew that, barring a second-half meltdown, I’d definitely average under 10 minutes a mile.
One neat thing about out-and-back routes is the opportunity to see every other competitor along the way. I made a point to yell and cheer for each person I knew; hey, even if they didn’t hear me or weren’t aware I was doing that (I’ll blame their intense focus or perhaps headphones), it was worth it!
I slowed down on the way back, as we amateurs are wont to do when there is a drastic difference in elevation. As I approached the final small hill leading up to the finish line, I was just behind a man whom I’d been gaining on over the past half-mile. I knew I had to beat him…mwahahaha. So I kicked it in, as did he, but I edged him out to cross the finish line. We congratulated each other; it’s always nice to have a reason to sprint at the end!
My official time was 27:52. Slower than I’d gone at the Heisey 5K in the past, but faster than I’d expected to go (yahoo!). The Heisey 5K gives awards to the top two finishers in each age category. Despite the fact that it’s a smaller race, I knew my time wasn’t fast enough to garner an award…
…except that it was, because I’m now in an older age group, thanks to a milestone birthday in July! So instead of being with the 20-29 speedsters, I was with the 30-39 ladies. And, on this given day, there was only one 30-39 lady faster than I. So I collected my award – a pair of gloves that has the touchscreen finger things – with my mom cheering so enthusiastically that the announcer said, “Wow, you even have your own cheering section!”
So, you see, getting old(er) isn’t always bad!
Showing off my new gloves (which are hard to see because they’re black and I’m wearing black)!
Mom and me!
THE PERKS OF CHEERING ON THE YOUNG: Girls on the Run 5K (Nov. 11, 2017)
The Girls on the Run (GOTR) 5K is the culmination of an empowerment program for girls in elementary school (the GOTR program) and middle school (the Heart and Sole program). The basic run-down: Through running and a number of other activities, the programs emphasize how to develop self-respect and healthy lifestyles.
This 5K really isn’t one I try to run quickly, for a few reasons:
-It’s so much fun to just enjoy the atmosphere and focus on encouraging all the girls who are doing this for the first time. (I was 24 when I ran my first!)
-Due to the race course, the first mile is pretty crowded. (The clock showed 11:00 when I reached the 1-mile mark, well slower than I run.)
-I’m a 30-year-old running with elementary and middle school girls, so there is no need for me to be actively competing against them, especially since the nature of this race is to provide encouragement. (Can you see me edging out an 8-year-old at the finish line and being like, “HAHAHAHA, kid! I beat you!”? Nah…that’s not what I’m about at GOTR!)
Now, when it comes to running weather, I prefer cold over hot. That said, I haven’t had a chance to get used to running in the cold this year (it’s been pretty warm lately), so I wasn’t too thrilled when I saw that the temperature for the start of today’s 9 a.m. race was 28 degrees F. What on earth was I going to wear? Or, more importantly, what were all those hundreds of little girls going to wear?
But I figured out my wardrobe (compression pants, long-sleeve compression shirt, other tech shirt on top, gloves, and headband), and when I arrived at the race, I saw that the girls – and their parents – had too. Everyone looked appropriately bundled up. Good!
Bundled up and ready to run and cheer on the girls!
The race organizers had the girls split up into groups of runners, run/walkers, and walkers. That helped to alleviate the congestion, I think. I ended up at the back of the running section, which was fine by me. Again, I wasn’t doing this one for time. (Also, despite the fact that I’d set my watch out with the rest of my racing gear, I seemed to have forgotten it. So I really wasn’t going to be timing myself.)
One of my favorite things about the GOTR 5K is listening to everyone’s conversations as we run. Here are a few that stuck out to me today:
- Man: “What else would we rather be doing on a cold November day?”
Three little girls, in unison: “HOT CHOCOLATE!” - Parent: “Do you think we could walk a little bit?”
Girl: “NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!” - Woman (as we ran by a local high school, where the band was practicing indoors): “Oh, Penn Manor’s band is playing just for us! At least, that’s what I’m telling myself.”
Girl: “Psh, no, they’re not!”
Me: “No, that’s totally for us.”
Woman and girl: *laughing* - After I finished, I grabbed my post-race snacks (which included Turkey Hill chocolate milk!) and looped back around to cheer on girls who were on the homestretch. My typical encouragements – and their typical reactions – were as follows:
Me: “Woohoo! Way to go! You’re almost there!”
Girls: *smiling*
Me: “THERE IS CHOCOLATE MILK AT THE FINISH LINE! CHOCOLATE MILK!”
Girls (looking excitedly at each other): “Chocolate milk?!” (Then they’d either break into a run if they’d been walking or start running faster if they’d already been running. It was fun to watch.)
GOTR is so much fun because, well, with most races, I’m focused a lot on ME (how fast will I run, how will I do, how will my training pay off, etc.), but GOTR is not about me at all. It’s entirely about the girls and supporting and encouraging them. I love it!
PERKS APLENTY
So these free 5Ks offered ample perks and ample reminders of what’s important. I learned that when you get older, you eventually make it into a new age bracket, which gives you a (younger) leg up on the competition in that age bracket. And I was reminded of the joy that’s found in running for just the sake of running – and for the sake of chocolate milk at the finish line.
Operation Life 