First 5k stories

Awsome!  XC Steeple Chase!

Hey, I did that race too! Great fun. The water was a little deeper this year than other years. Be prepared for BIG hills in the next 3 races.

I did my first 5K back in 2000 about 6 weeks after I started running. It had snowed a couple inches the night before the race. I had no idea of how I would do. I ended up running about 28 minutes and found out I didn't completely suck. I had fun and it made me want to improve. I'm still having fun 8 years later after 100s of races. I ran a 21:29 5K last Saturday and I think I can still go faster even at my age.

Did my first 5K in 2005, wanted to get a little race experience before my first tri.  It was the first time they held it.  There were 30 runners.  I thought I was so cool getting my first T-shirt.  Still have it.  It was hot. 

I started out fine, of course it was downhill and fat rolls down hill well.  Half way through most the field had left me in the dust but a nine year old kid.  I was slogging along.  The kid would run ahead a little bit then walk till I caught up with him.  Then he would run out ahead.  Again and again until 1/2 mile form the sinish line where he left me in the dust.  Missed 30 minutes by 19 seconds. 

Good news was I palce third in my AG, only three of us in it.   Willie and Yvonne cheered me on the whole way.  They were at every street corner.  Of course they weren't driving just cutting the short cuts.  I think they could have run faster then me. 

I've never run a standalone 5K. I have run a standalone 10K, and it was in December, in DC. I stared out wearing an under armour heatgear (which ever one is the one you're supposed to wear in the cold) with pants over the top of it, a jacket, gloves, and a Santa hat. The temp was around 40.

The hat was the first to go, at mile 1. Next came the gloves, at mile 2. The jacket got tied around the waist by mile 3, and I suffered the rest of the way with the pants over the tights. Wear less clothing than you think you'll need.

I am running my first standalone 5K in December as a pacer for someone who wants to run the race in a specific time, and this person hates running and has a habit of getting POed while running, and often doesn't want to talk to anyone for 30 mins or more after the race. And I have to push this angry-running-hating person out of her comfort zone during the race. Is sure to be a hoot. Perhaps I'll have another tale after that race in a couple of months.

Oh, and I will wear less clothes than I think I need.

Over 11 years ago, in high school. I'd been playing soccer and my mom thought it would be fun for us (her, me, my brother) do it. I got several soccer friends to do it and it was fun. It seemed SO LONG to run 3 miles at one time, without 'breaks' like soccer. It was hard but I loved it. And TONS of food and prizes after! It was great.

Now, the big lesson:
When we got there, my mom and friends and I hit the bathrooms, tried to stay warm (it was Feb). My brother was about 12 at the time (his first too). The start was at the finish and all the post race stuff was set up: milk, juice, oranges, bananas, bagels...and...donuts! My brother went and had breakfast. He had about 3 donuts, milk and oj. He threw up multiple times during the race. He didn't know pacing, just ran hard, threw up, ran hard, threw up, over and over.

Don't eat the post race food before.

i was in 9th grade for my 1st 5k.  that was almost 30 yrs ago.  don't remember a darn thing about it.

First 5k was a x-country race in high school in my Jr. year (friend had me join the team to stay in shape for baseball in the Spring).

Went out with the crowd, first mile split was around a 5:45 ................ finished the race a little over 24 if I remember correctly ......... 9 minute average for the next two miles basically!

Took me years to get it right.  My first mile is still always my fastest and it is in the 5's, but then I do not fall off quite so much in the later miles as that first one 20 years ago!

My first 5K (first race ever actually) was on a Sunday in June 2007.  I decided to do it because, at the time, I was participating in Boot Camp at my gym and a bunch of other Boot Campers were also running in it.  The night before I was at a cookout at a friend's house and stayed too late.  I got a few hours of sleep and ran the 5K in 25:33.  I went out too fast and had to walk for a bit going up a hill. It's still the only time I have walked in a race.  I hung around for a few minutes post race then went home and slept.   I still haven't figured out how to properly pace myself in a 5K! 

I wound up winning 3rd place in my AG, but didn't find out until a few days later when someone brought me the trophy to boot camp.  I had that trophy displayed in my living room for months until I won a few more AG awards (running races) and now I have a shelf for them.  Hopefully one of these days I'll get some tri hardware to add to the shelf

I did that one too!  Was visiting my parents.  Did you see the guys dressed as Batman and Captain America?  They had to be hot in those costumes!

My first 5k will be in december of this year! 

lodeway - that race sounds awesome!  This may be a stupid question, but how do you find races that are more than just races?  climbing over bales of hay, running through streams, etc?

I've run all of three stand-alone 5Ks in the ten years I've been running, most of them have been novelty races. The first was in conjunction with the opening of a new river crossing (major route and bridge) here in town, and was the first opportunity that ordinary citizens got to use the new route. Couldn't tell you what my time was, but it was a pretty good party afterward!

The second 5K was one that started at the top of a four-story parking garage in the downtown area. I was training for the Las Vegas Marathon a month later, ran eleven miles to get to the start then ran a 27:03 in the race.

The third was 2006 version of the first race, where I PRed for the distance with a 22:47.

I guess my first 5k was in my first triathlon, was a nice humbling run through a park, with 30 mph winds and about 45 degrees outside...

I didn't do any running races until I had done tris for two years.

First 5K I ever did a three legged dog passed me 3 or 4 times..it was weird, funny but depressing.

HA!!!   I am also in the "beaten by a three legged dog in a 5K" club