first race completed

24 minutes is awesome! What a great time! I'm being totally serious... I aspire to a 24 minute 5K.... Heck, I aspire to a 30 minute 5K. Nice JOB! Congratulations! Keep racing, sister!!!!

Great job! Nothing to be disappointed about.

I can relate to your disappointing feeling at the end of the race. I remember when I ran my first 10K, I finished what I felt like was a good time (under 48 min), but when the race was over I felt like I could have ran it faster. I wanted to be safe and start off with a slower pace so I could meet my goals. My goals were to finish in under 50 min and run the entire race, both of which I accomplished. I didn't dwell on the fact that I should have done better for very long, I turned my focus on the fact that I can do better. The feeling at the end of the race inspired me and gave me confidence for that event the following year. In next year's event I finished 22nd in my age group and ran a 7:32 pace. I am shooting for a top ten in my age group next year and hopefully a top 100 overall finish.

Great job again!

yeah, I guess I'm not disappointed per se, but more so angry at myself - BUT I am running another 5k on August 21st and my goal is going to be 21 minutes... I too started out pretty slow, just wanting to finish the race in under 30mins. as I continued running I hit my stride. So when I was at the end and had a little juice left, I didn't have time enough to make up for the lack of speed at the beginning.

I keep telling myself however, that if I run the 5k in 24 mins at the end of my tri in september I'll be doing well

Aug. 21 will be my first Tri, a sprint and I'm aiming for a 21-24 min run. For some reason, the race is run, bike, swim?? Go figure. I am going in to it with the same game plan, slow pace, finish in under 53 min. My next sprint is the following week Aug. 29, regular format (r,b,s). I am using Aug. 21 as my final long training session, so to speak, for the 29th and use the first Tri to get some experience in TAs during a race atomosphere.

Good luck with your race on the 21st, I'm confident you'll make your time!

since my first tri isn't until sept 19th and i'm getting antsy to try [tri], I'm doing some sort of race every other weekend until then... I figure just being in a race atmosphere is good practice. I would like to do the run for the tri in 24 based on last years results for the top 25 women in my age group... since it is after the swim/bike I don't plan on making that time in the tri, but practicing beforehand will allow me to see just what my body can handle...