Run with Carl Race Recap!

After 5 quick miles yesterday, I realized that I love racing! My sister-in-law, and running buddy, and I ran the Run with Carl 5 mile race in Bettendorf, Iowa yesterday. She warned me the night before that it was going to be a hilly race, but I was feeling pretty good about hills after nearly killing myself on Sunday running near my parents house.

So at 8:15 the race started going UP HILL! I should have known that was a sign of things to come. The "pack" pace was pretty quick in the beginning, and at one point I looked down at my trusty little Garmin and saw that my pace was 8:16. I knew I could not sustain that pace for 5 miles, so I slowed down a little bit and settled in right around 9:00 per mile. In fact at the first mile marker I was at 8:58. I was feeling pretty good, and decided to pick people to pass. At one point, I picked a guy in a red shirt, and just before I finally caught up to him, he stopped and walked off the trail, I have no idea where he went, but I do know that I suceeded in beating him:) The next person I decided, I needed to beat was a women in a black shirt that said STAFF on the back. She had started right near me in the beginning, but was now a little ways ahead of me. Just as I caught up to her, she started to walk! Man, I must be intimidating, every person I chose to "pick off" made it so easy! I even found myself passing 3 or 4 people every time we encountered a hill.

As I passed the 4 mile marker, I realized that I might be able to make a 45 minute total race time, if I kicked it up just a little. The only problem, was that the last mile I was faced with 2 hills. I did okay and even passed a couple people on the first, but man the last 1/2 mile of the race was up a HUGE GIGANTIC hill. I was giving it all I had, and ended up going up the hill next to an older gentleman! Thank God for him! When I started to let up a little he yelled at me, to keep going! And when we got to the top, he telled at me to kick it up and finish strong! Thanks, older man in the yellow shirt (who by the way was not breathing nearly as heavy as I was, and made it look so EASY!)

I crossed the finish line at 44:11. I was super excited for my overall time! Looking forward to next weekend's 9.5 mile race!