Run Wild for the Zoo 5k Recap!

I did it! Another 5k!

The night before I just was not feeling it. I told hubs that I didn't feel ready and that I might just walk the whole thing. Well, you know how you get there and the excitement just takes over? Yeah. I ran the entire 1st mile! Don't know where the hell that came from, but I did it!

The course was a big square around the outside of the zoo. The first mile was down the freeway service drive (I always get a kick out of running where you would normally never dare set foot.), the next mile and a half was through a gorgeous neighborhood with giant homes and beautiful landscaping (good scenery), and the last leg was down another main thoroughfare and into the zoo itself. It was flat for the most part. There was just one super small hill towards the end.

It was rather cold that morning, and my hubs talked me out of bringing a coat. I ended up hanging out in my car until about 7:15 -- that's when I noticed the lines starting to get longer by the portapotties. I did my business then went over to the start area to warm up. Randomly enough I struck up a conversation with a lady who happened to have a sleeve! I love meeting random WLS people!

Time to start! I positioned myself sort of in the middle. I'm slow, so I don't go near the front, but I really don't want to be the last person in, so I like to give myself a little bit of a head start. I know, it's so delusional. Anyway, I take off and tell myself, ok, run for two songs, then walk one, repeat. I was still feeling pretty good when the third one started, so I kept going. As that one ended, that's when I saw the spray painted message fly under my feet: 1 MILE!!! Holy crap! I kept running another 30 yards or so till we turned the first corner, then I took a walk break. I walked a good deal of mile 2, then kicked it back up a notch for the last part.

At the end of the day, I finished in 43:15, which is more than a minute faster than last time. Works for me!

My next two weeks are going to be a little crazy, especially with BOOBs coming up, so I'm going to concentrate more on getting my steps in each day. I plan on doing at least two runs per week. After BOOBs, I'm back in it. I will have a plan (that actually includes strength training), and I'm signing up for another race in November. There's a 4 miler through a park that sounds interesting...