Purity Dairy Dash Smitty 15K

Well, 15K in the books and it was very tough. It was warm to start and got warmer. We aren't used to racing "warm" yet, so it took a toll. We didn't have any water from 2 to 5 miles, and I needed some. I started with a 5K mentality, but, unfortunately, I was in the 15K! I watched my daughter have a huge PR in the 5K with 24:34 (she was aiming for sub 25) and my company president (turns 50 this year) in his first race in 8 years break 20. So- quitting was not going to be an option for me. It just felt SO hard. I caught up with a younger, faster male teammate at about 7 1/2 miles and wound up beating him by 2 minutes. My Oiselle team leader for Nashville ran with me for a little bit in the 9th mile and was very encouraging. I started with a couple miles in the 9:30s, dropped to the low 10s with some lost time at a couple of the aid stations, but I never walked. I sure wanted to, but I was afraid that would be it!
1:32:50 (I expected to be closer to 1:30 but not in this weather, as it turned out). I won my age group and my corporate teams were 1st in the 5K (behind the pres) and 3rd in the 15K (behind me). I'm happy with all that and especially happy that it's over.

Oh- the best part! As we all know, I'm a head case when it comes to racing. Well, at the 5K starting line, my very self-assured and competitive president (our No. 2 executive) of our Fortune 500 company told me he is absolutely terrified every time he is on a starting line!

Great racing KSA, and congrats to your DD for her PR and your company president for his sub-20.  Sounds like your team did very well all around.  Nice medal, btw.  Did they serve ice cream at the finish?

Thanks, all.   Yes, they had ice cream bars and packaged cones.  I grabbed an ice cream sandwich.  They also serve macaroni and cheese and chocolate milk and regular milk.  Normally I grab up more, but I wasn't feeling like it after that long, hot race.  Seems like the 5Kers really go after the macaroni.  Have to replenish what they lost.....    

I am a head case about racing and always have been.  I think it is because I really do race hard and it hurts!   I don't really have goals anymore since PRs aren't going to happen, but I still race hard.  I anticipate my races like major surgery or something.

Remember the Ten 5K

A race to remember 10 members of the Oklahoma State University basketball team & program who died in a plane crash returning from a game in 2001 (The Ten). Proceeds go to college grief counseling program along with scholarships to students majoring in counseling programs. One of the young men who died in the plane crash is from my small hometown.

A warm spring morning for a race. I'm currently focused on training for the OKC Mem Marathon at the end of the month, but I do not like to miss this race. I had 10 miles on my training schedule for the day. My sister was also running the race (her 2nd 5K) & she rode up to Stillwater with me. We arrived early and so I ran the 5K course along with a 1 mile loop around the OSU campus (my alma mater) as a warm up. I lined up near the OSU basketball team at the start. They are TALL. Pistol Pete started the race and we were off. I love the course they run around the campus (I set my PR here 6 years ago). I was able to maintain a nice pace throughout the race. About 1/2 mile from the finish one of the basketball players passed me. So, of course I tried to keep up with him. Then a few seconds later another player past me in hot pursuit of the other player. With their long legs & athletic ability, I had no chance of catching either, but it made for a fast paced final mile. It did turn out that they were the only 2 players to finish ahead of me. After finishing, I did another lap of the 5K course to give me my 10 miles for the day.

Results: Finished in 22:42 for a 1AG (1/17). That is my fastest 5K in over 5 years. Quite happy with that result in the middle of marathon training.

Paul

Mta: Photos

My sister & I post race.

Medal & trophy.

Paul, what a great picture of you and your sister! Congrats to her on her second 5k.

You are going to rock your marathon at the end of the month!

Nancy

Nice racing to both of you!

KSA--I hate warm races, like you said, especially early in the season before you've acclimated.  Good job powering through that.

Paul--Excellent.  This will do you some good for the marathon too!  Get those fast-twitch fibers activated. And it's neat that you get to run with your sister (great pic).  An athletic family!