5k Foot Pursuit

Today I got up at 6:30am ate a banana and a piece of whole wheat toast with almond butter and headed off to Miller Park in Sacramento to a 5k for local law enforcement. When I got there not many people were there and those who were looked very fit, and my first thought was "I'm going to be the last one to finish!" As I waited for the race to start I made a new friend, Kate. She was very nice and gave me some tips on what upcoming runs to do, and what the courses are like. She was obviously an experienced runner, and about 2 min 'til start time, she moved to the front of the pack. More people came who looked like they might be walking the course, so I felt better that I would not be the last of the last.

The course started down near the marina, and then followed I-5 to oldtown. We ran under the freeway to the mall, turned around, back through oldtown, and to the starting line. The course was more hilly than the other two I ran, so I thought for sure my time would be slower. I wore a stop watch this time so I could keep a better pace. I did the first mile in 13:40 which is my fastest mile on a run. Then the hills came. I walked up them, and then took advantage of gravity and ran down them. mile two was rough. Between mile 2 and 3 we ran along a bike trail near the river. It was really beautiful. It was about 70 degrees with a slight, and much welcomed, breeze. We were wearing dark blue shirts, which made it extra warm. When I saw the mile 3 marker, I ran from there to the finish. As I was running up there was an announcer catching people who are crossing the finishing line and calling out their names. "And here comes Hilary King!" the announcer called out as I came down the home stretch. It definitely gave me a boost of energy to go that last little bit. And best.. of.. all.., I beat my best time. I finished the race in 45:34!!! That's an average of a 14:42 minute mile.

And the mojo that I had lost, it back in full swing again. Back to eating right and planning on keeping a good workout schedule for next week. I am having a Father's Day BBQ with my Uncle and other family tomorrow (my family not living in the same city I do), so I will allow some 'cheat foods' tomorrow. I am also meeting my parents in San Rafael, CA on Thursday-Sunday so I know I won't be eating all that great with them on vacation, so I need to make Monday-Thursday morning really count!

Hope you all are enjoying your weekend!