New Years Day 5k Recap

Me and my friend B, huddled in the car for warmth while we waited for the race to start

I didn't run this race last year, but two years ago I did and I finished in under 30 minutes. I was hoping for a time close to that this year, but I didn't quite manage it.

It was colder (mid-to-high-30's) and windier than I expected, but the wind turned out to not be an issue while we were running. Mostly it just made us cold while we waited for the race to start and when we were milling around after finishing.

My problem was that I had it in my mind that this was a fast race and therefor I could run a little faster than normal and still be ok. That wasn't the case though. Maybe if I wasn't pregnant I could have hung in there, but I am, and I couldn't. I started out too fast and paid for it during the last mile when I had to stop and walk a couple times because I was tired and my lungs needed a break. Reduced lung capacity because I'm pregnant combined with the cold air made it harder to breathe than I'm used to. On the other hand, my stomach and intestines behaved, so that's definitely a win.

I finished the race in 33:25, which is slower than the 29:36 I finished in 2 years ago, but is the same time that I finished my December 5k. This race measured .13 miles longer though (the December 5k was a little short), which gave me a 10:42 average pace. Even though I didn't run a steady pace (mile 1: 9:56 pace, mile 2: 10:22 pace, mile 3: 11:54 pace), I still managed to finish in the same time as my last race, so that's consistent at least. And 33:25 is my current 5k PR, so I really can't complain too much.

I'm anticipating my times slowing down from here on out. I'm now 12 weeks pregnant and the baby is just going to get bigger :) My races will be more about distance and staying mobile than about time. Staying active while pregnant with River made such a difference in the quality of the pregnancy and I'm determined to continue that with this pregnancy.

My next race is an 8 miler at the end of February (I'm skipping the Mud Run this year and this was the only other race I could find) when I'm 20 weeks pregnant. This will be good training for the half marathon at the beginning of April when I'm 25 weeks pregnant. I also have a 5k in March planned when I'm 23 weeks. My next post will talk more about the races I have planned this year, so I'll just end by saying that I do plan on running and walking as long as I possibly can, and starting out the new year with a good 5k run is a good way to start.