Tropical 5K benefitting CPFH - Run


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Miami, Florida
United States
ING
70F / 21C
Sunny
Total Time = 46m 43s
Overall Rank = 1097/2000+
Age Group = 40-44
Age Group Rank = 50/65
Pre-race routine:

Woke up at 5am and started nibbling on a Clif bar, which ended up taking me all morning and I still didn't finish it. Showered, dressed, walked my dog Gigi. Drank some water. Made sure I used the bathroom before I left home. Drove to the event site with plenty of time. I hate to be running late because it makes me nervous and want to go to the bathroom.
Event warmup:

I was early so I stayed in the car for about 15min until about 30min before race start. The sun wasn't out yet and being near the water it was windy. I walked to the corral area and started jogging a small loop. I jogged about 3 loops then started stretching. We had a beautiful sunrise, the kind where the sky is blue and orange and lots of tiny clouds are all around. It was windy, but not too chilly anymore. I kept warm with my dry-wick Disney 1/2 marathon tee, and wore the 2005 Tropical 5K tee on top of that, and shorts. I wore this tee instead of the one I got in the shwag bag because it's a nicer tee, and it fit. It didn't fit 2 years ago. It meant something to me to wear it today. A reminder of how far I've come. My God, I felt so good. I felt ready. I felt calm. And I felt like I finally belonged.
Run
  • 46m 43s
  • 3.1 miles
  • 15m 04s  min/mile
Comments:

I was excited when the gun finally went off. It took a few minutes to get to the start line (I'm a proud BOPer). I started jogging, and continued to jog the whole way. I paid attention to my breathing, making sure to breathe deeply, and maintain my rhythm. The first mile is always harder for me, but this one wasn't as hard as in previous events because I think I properly warmed up this time (and trained, duh!). Big smile on my face when I approached the mile 1 sign, and the clock said 16:29. I know I have to subtract some time from that, but it's looking pretty good so far. Onward I kept going. People were passing me, but I was passing people too. It was clear to me I was not at the back of the line with the cops following me. As we neared mile 2, I stopped to walk for a few seconds to drink some gatorade. But then I started up again. It's amazing how determined I was to run the whole distance. And it was easy to do as long as I maintained my pace. As we neared the bridge, I braced myself for the incline and how it would affect my pace. At the top I slowed and walked for about 10 seconds. But then I started up again. At this point I pretty much knew I was home free. It was a slow pace, but I realized I have come to recognize my pace. I didn't go beyond it until I was coming down the bridge where gravity helped me to pick it up a little. The last 100 yards or so I booked it as much as I could. Crossing the finish line felt fantastic! I honest to goodness ran the whole entire 3.1 miles. I nearly teared up, but joy overtook that emotion. I did it. I did it. I did it. With my finisher's medal around my neck, I posed for pictures.
The funny thing is that I didn't feel dumbfounded that I had accomplished this... I felt... I feel like... of course I did this. I set a goal and went after it. Why wouldn't I reach my goal? Amen to that.
[edited 11:12am on 1/28/07 to post official time results]

What would you do differently?:

Nothing.
Post race
Warm down:

I walked the couple of blocks to Nikki Beach for post event festivities. Had half a bagel w/ cream cheese, and water. I ate a half banana later. I stood in line (for far longer than was worth it) for a chair massage.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Inexperience, and extra weight.

Event comments:

I love this race. I plan to do the Miami Half and Miami Marathon at some point. It's an excellent event, its in my hometown, and I'm emotionally connected to it too. I love it. I'm looking forward to my next event, and hoping that I will show an improvement then as well. My last race's time was 51:42, and this one was 46:43. That's a PR by approx 5min!!!! EXCELLENT TIME!!!!! I made my super secret goal! Every minute counts right? Isn't this fun? I had a great time.




Last updated: 2006-01-12 12:00 AM
Running
00:46:43 | 03.1 miles | 15m 04s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/65
Overall: 0/2000+
Performance: Good
Course: The course is flat and very scenic. MacArthur Causeway is the main highway from Downtown Miami to Miami Beach, and passes right next to where all the cruise ships dock.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 5
Physical exertion [1-5] 5
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5