Breeze in the Trees 5k
I almost didn’t run this race. I signed for it at the same time I signed up for the Freedom Run, but the closer it got, the less I wanted to run it. And then I talked to Maryam.
Best friend since 6th grade. Boston Marathon runner. Motivator extraordinaire.
She told me, “Just go. Don’t worry about going for a PR. Go to enjoy yourself, even if you just walk the whole thing. You’ll still be getting exercise and enjoying time outside. Just go. Enjoy it.”
So, I just went. I left the house at 5am and got to the race site at 6am to check in to the Breeze in the Trees 5k.
This was the best race site so far. It was held at a pecan grove. Lots of trees, meaning lots of shade, which is your best friend outdoors on a July day in Tucson!
I chatted with a few women before the race started. Women who regularly wake up at 5am to run 9 miles and were using this race to help train for half marathons.
Half marathons.
Ha!
I’ll stick with the 3.1 miles, please.
When the race started, I intentionally held back to run at a slower pace. I was determined to enjoy the course. So, I let the Speedy McSpeedersons pass me by and I let my mind drift back to the days when we lived in New Mexico. My dad’s office had pecan trees outside and we would go out there with a rolling metal pecan-picker-upper thingy (I’m sure that’s the technical name). We’d put the pecans in a paper grocery bag and take them home. While my sisters and I would watch TV, my dad would sit down with the pecans and peel off the outer green layer, then crack the pecans open. Ahh…nostalgia.
That helped to distract me until about the one mile marker. The run was actually really pleasant (as runs go, that is). The course looped around, instead of an up-and-back, which I liked much better. After the first burst of people at the starting line, I hardly even saw anyone else for the rest of the race. I saw people ahead of me in the distance, but there weren’t people passing or falling behind me, which eliminated that yo-yo effect that I dislike so much. I felt like I was just running by myself. It was quiet. Peaceful.
They had a water station set up at about a mile and a half and by the time I reached them, I’d decided that if I had run half of the course already, that I could surely run the other half. I didn’t try to speed up, I just made myself keep running. I went from concentrating on my breathing to rocking out to my music to replaying Maryam’s words – enjoy it. I was determined to do just that.
Every step was still hard. By mile 2, I really just wanted to walk. But then I heard the trainer voice of my Nike+ app say, “2 miles, 22 minutes, 14 seconds,” I got all excited, because that meant if I kept my current pace, I could get my best time! So, that’s what motivated me to keep going. Through 2.25 miles (where my hips started aching)…past the 2.5 mile mark (where I was really dragging)…and through the 2.75 mile alert.
That’s where I ran past a woman. I’d seen her talking with a couple of other runners earlier before the race started. She was standing on the sideline with her dog, cheering people on. As I passed her, she yelled, “You’re really doing great! You’re almost there!” Never underestimate the power of encouragement. Her words really gave me the last jolt of energy to get to the finish line (I actually tracked her down after the race to thank her for cheering me on and she gave me a hug. So sweet.).
And I ended up finishing with my best time yet! This is only the 2nd 5k that I’ve run the entire race and it felt fantastic (after I was done with the running part, that is)!
And just to add to the joy of the morning, I found out the local fire fighters were making us a pancake breakfast! They may have mentioned that in the registration, but I certainly didn’t remember it, so it was a fantastic (and delicious) post-race surprise!
I’m counting this race as a resounding success.
Bring on the next one!
