“Someone who is busier than you is running right now”.
(Nike)
The quote above speaks to me on multiple levels. There is always something happening in our daily lives and skipping a training run can become a habit.
I continue to look for ways to motivate myself to stay consistent with my training. It would be easy to blame COVID-19 since the racing world and protocols have changed. Again, that would be an excuse because we do not need a start or finish line to get a run in. My goal for the rest of the year is to maintain training consistency and get out and run.
I have written previously that running is my therapy. Running gives me an opportunity to clear my head and gather my thoughts after a long work week. This sport also helps me maintain a healthy body weight while I continue to eat without counting calories.
Decided to find a start line and signed up for the Track Shack Celebration of Running 5k. This race served two purposes: helped me determine my fitness level and got to shop in a great city.
I ran this race multiple times when I lived in Oviedo, so it was an easy decision to get over to Winter Park for another Track Shack race. I did not get in town early enough to visit Track Shack, so I do not have an in-store shopping experience to share this time. I am pretty sure I own every color of the Track Shack training shirts—will add more to the wardrobe in the future. 😊
Got off work early on Friday afternoon and drove over to Oviedo. I normally get into a race town early the day prior, but this was a 5k and I did not need the extra prep time. Guess that’s what real runners say when they show up not knowing how well they will run the next day. My goal was to toe the line and run with enough intensity to determine what I needed to do to complete my half marathon training.
Happy to report physical distancing at races is still a thing. People were respectful of spacing and did not crowd together at the start line. Made my way to the 8 minute per mile area with the intent to avoid the crowds behind me and minimize bumping into other runners. I recognized quite a few runners from my days living in Oviedo. I smiled when a few of them recognized me too—guess runners never forget! 😊
I started with a controlled pace to ease into the race and to determine if there were any runners I wanted to pace with. Orlando has a great running community and there were several runners available to tag along with during this race. Somehow, I did not get my music playlist set prior to the race and ended up running without music. This is not normal for me during races or training so had to create my own rhythm listening to my breathing and feet pounding the ground. Not as interesting as bobbing my head to T.I.’s Motivation. I will have my music situation corrected before heading to Virginia Beach for the Rock N Roll Half Marathon.
My miles splits: Mile 1: 8:45 / Mile 2: 9:20 / Mile 3: 9:40 / Mile .1 / .59 = 9:13 pace.
Not bad for a training run. Decided not to push too hard and enjoy stretching my legs while getting in some extra road work.
Laughed a few times during the race when several Orlando runners complained about the HILLS on the course. I have experienced the Tallahassee and Nashville hills during training and races—the Orlando hills were simply sidewalk inclines. I did not even break strides to get up those big, bad hills the Orlando folks dreaded. I had to control myself and not give folks a hard time for walking up these very small inclines—guess hills are subjective to runners.
Crossed the finish line with a smile on my face and gas left in my tank. Made it over to the vendors and got pizza as an after-race snack. Yes, runners eat horribly once the race is over.
Happy with my efforts during the Celebration of Running 5k. Will continue to work on my conditioning as I prep for my visit to Virginia Beach in September. My goal is to enjoy the course and my time on the beach. I do not have a goal time for this race but will finish and enjoy the grind.
I’m sure I will have an article to discuss my race weekend! 😊
Irie!
“Long distance running is 90% mental, and the other half is physical”.
(Rich Davis)
Walk Into the Future 