Not quite St. Patty's Day yet, but we had our local Shamrock Run this a.m. - 5 miles. I have run this once before - back in 2007 with a time of 46:20, which wasn't quite a PR. I can't find my PR time, but it was at the Portland Marathon in 2006, and 45:50 give or take a few seconds, is what stands out in my memory. About 3 wks ago, I ran 5 miles after work one day with a time of 42:35 - so I was pleased with that run, and was hoping today I could do that again. Well, I've had a touch of the 'bug' this week, have only run a total of 7 miles so far this week, so I bagged my goal time of hitting the 42 minute range and decided just to run it based on how I felt. It was chilly this a.m., so I wore shorts and two long sleeve tech shirts. This race starts and ends at a high school track and first the little kids had a shamrock lap around the track. They were so cute and even one little girl, all dressed in a green fuzzy outfit with a shamrock hat on, ran the whole track and she couldn't have been more than about 24 mos. Such a cutie! Then the racers got lined up to start. It started out with a lap around the track, then out through the parking lot and onto the roads. it was an out and back course, fairly flat except for a few small inclines going up and over a bridge going across the interstate. My friend Laura also ran with me, but she had already passed me by before we left the stadium . I hit my first mile at 8:05. hmm, a bit fast for me. I also noticed the course wasn't measured quite right. I hit my mile markers (per garmin) about 1/10th of a mile before the race markers, so I could already tell this course was going to measure a bit long. And it was - but only by .08 when all was said and done. Here are my splits: 8.05 8.19 8.31 8.22 8.13 .48 for that last .08. I crossed the finish line at 42:09. Per garmin, I actually hit 5 miles at 41:31. So, I'm not really sure which number I should be using as my new PR? I guess 42:09 since that is what the clock read, right? In any event, it's a PR for me, by over 3 minutes, so I'm thrilled with that. Laura ran hers in 38:something. This a fast group of runners we have here and even my time was only good enough for about 6th or 7th in my AG. 1st in my AG was 33:18. Same with Laura (she's 38 ), she was about 6th in her AG also. But we both felt great about our respective performances today. Thanks for reading!

That's a rocking HUGH pr!!!

Great race Tammy!! Way to set a big PR.

this makes me very happy for you, . . and even more happy for me that I got to run five miles with you at Eugene 2007, . . . happy too that our shirt-off-our-back bets don't include five milers. I guess though that I might as well give you my Seattle RnR shirt at the Expo.

I crossed the finish line at 42:09. Per garmin, I actually hit 5 miles at 41:31. So, I'm not really sure which number I should be using as my new PR? I guess 42:09 since that is what the clock read, right? In any event, it's a PR for me, by over 3 minutes, so I'm thrilled with that.

if it's like frequently-mismeasured marathons/ultras usually are, unless, the official results recalculate and post the 41:31 time, your official PR is 42:09, . . . but there's nothing wrong with asterisks or parentheses for your personal information. No particular reason but would you run an extra 0.08 if it was short?

Nice PR, Tammy! You're fast - I'd love to have a time like that!

Fantastic race, Tammy! You were smokin'! Bet you're starting to think about sub-40 now!! PJ

Hey nice big PR of 3 minutes on 5 miles! I could run one mile that fast, but then I'd be at the sidelines puking. Great job, unfortunately Garmins will always, almost always measure longer than the course.

no particular reason but did you happen to wear anything of a certain color that might have a little luck o' the you-know-what? If not, there'll be lots more next week up here.