One of the tasks on my list of things to do this year was to run a 5k.  I’ve regaled you with entries about my aversion to running (and my subsequent love of it), so here’s an update that will catch you up on how we did.

Leading up to the race, I felt fairly downtrodden. I had given running outside a go, and wasn’t a fan of the air quality, the uneven ground, the traffic lights, and the people who get in the way (though I did trot past a young boy with a soccer ball who surprised me with a spontaneous high 5). The week before the race, I hadn’t been able to last a full 5k running outside, so I wasn’t too confident going into race day.

On the big day, both Mark and I made a point of eating really healthy meals that would last us through the day.  We both kept very hydrated, and eventually, made our way towards Elgin/Laurier to get our race on.

The only complaint that I have about the 5k was the start.  There were so many people packed into the corral that the first kilometre involved a lot of weaving, dodging, and trying to navigate around people. I feel like if things had been spaced out a little more, it would have been a better start for everyone. But hey, there were about 9000 people running it, so it was bound to be a little crowded.

Overall, I feel like I had a strong race.  I kept at a steady pace the whole time and only had to stop once (for about 20 seconds when I felt like vomiting all over the place).  It passed, and I kept going, finally sprinting to the finish. Vomit suppressed.

My time was 33:23. Mark finished approx. 20 seconds ahead of me (yes folks, he was the big winner). For my first race, I’m pretty happy with that time.  According to one of my trusty iPhone apps, the first kilometre lasted for 7:25, and my second kilometre sped along at 5:57… so just saying… with a better start, I could have been a minute and a half faster in total. This number gives me a time to beat for next time though, and that makes me pretty happy.

Will I do another 5k? ABSOLUTELY! Not sure yet about 10k or more… I’ll stick with a 5 for now and see how things go.

Running: Acheivement Unlocked! And participation medal collected!