“I run so my goals in life will continue to get bigger instead of my belly”.
(teepublic.com)
Started my 2022 running program with the Bridge Buster 5k in Fort Pierce, Florida.
I ran this same 5k back in 2021 and decided it would be a great way to jump start my 2022 running odyssey and get me back to competing with other runners.
My 2022 run goals are slightly different from what I established for 2021. The 2021 goal was to get in 1,110 training/running miles for the year. I was able to exceed this goal but felt like I was always chasing the number. Yes, I put the work in to get to that number but the closer I got to 1,110 miles the more I started pressing to ensure I got there. Seems counterintuitive but chasing the number was not as fun as just going out to run.
My written 2022 run goal is simply to ensure I get in 3 quality runs each week. I created an aggressive race calendar for 2022 by registering for 8 races on December 30, 2021, with an eye towards additional races. The race dates range from January 8 to May 14 to go along with the 2022 Clearwater Rock N Roll Half Marathon. Plan to add September, November, and December races to the schedule to provide a full year of races. Still contemplating a full marathon this year but that will happen in the fall if I decide it is time to take on that challenge.
The Bridge Buster 5k is a smaller race but this was the 39th running of the race. The race proceeds go to local educational programs so this was a great way to give back to the Fort Pierce community.
I did not have to get up super early since this was a hometown race and I live about 10 minutes away from the start/finish line. I got up with plenty of time to prep with beet juice, drink water and get coffee to take on my drive over to the race starting point. I added a new wrinkle to my preparation by leveraging a 10-minute yoga stretching YouTube session by Adrienne Mishler. I discovered her free yoga classes through the Runner’s World magazine. The session was short but very effective to get me ready to run my race.
Arrived at packet pickup to get my race bib, t-shirt, and instructions for the 5k. Again, this is a small race, so packet pickup took a full 10-minutes start to finish. Went back to my vehicle to attach my bib and complete my last-minute stretching routine.
Toed the line towards the middle of the start corral to ensure I did not go out to fast and to allow me to avoid runners who may not know how to control their initial race pace. The start line can be dangerous when trying to avoid other runners—crashes do occur.
I did not have a specific finish time in mind when the race started—always like to get a feel for the course and then see how much I can push myself towards the start line. This was the first race of the 2022 season so wanted to gauge my fitness levels during this race to see how much training work I need to put in.
Happy to report, I am not too far off with my fitness, and this should be a great running season. 😊
I covered the 5k distance in 28:36 which averages out to 9:12 per mile. My splits were: Mile 1 (8:38) / Mile 2 (9:37) / Mile 3 (9:29) / Mile .1 (.52).
Mile 1 is completely flat as we made our way through downtown Fort Pierce. This may be my favorite portion of this race because it is flat and there are no bridges in sight. The Mile 1 marker sits at the beginning of the Seaway Drive Bridge. The next half mile of the race is on an incline as we made our way over the bridge towards Hutchinson Island. This half mile portion of the race is where most runners must decide how they want to complete the race. I decided to slow my pace at this point to ensure I had enough gas in the tank to finish as strong as I wanted. The bridge descent was welcomed by all runners as we made up time coming down off the bridge and continued towards Hutchinson Island and the turnaround point.
The course flattens once off the bridge, and we made our way to the turnaround point. The turnaround was just short of the 2-mile point of the race, and I tried to make up some time here knowing the bridge was looming in the distance. Yes, we had to get back over the same bridge to complete this 5k. Therefore, the race is called the Bridge Buster 5K. 😊
The second bridge crossing was just as taxing as the first portion, but runners were spaced out more coming back towards downtown Fort Pierce. I pressed myself to not give up too much time running up the bridge and pressed the gas coming down the other side for the descent. I had to crank my music on this portion to keep me churning towards the finish line.
I picked off a few runners with my finishing kick and crossed the line with a smile on my face. Turns out I finish second in my age group but did not hang around for the awards ceremony.
Why not you ask? I have a lot of races scheduled for 2022 and leveraged the cool morning to get a 5-mile training run in. Yes, I went for a 5-mile training run after I completed the Bridge Buster 5K.
Got my 5-miles in on Ocean Drive which is one of my normal routes close to the beach. This allowed me to train and then get a few minutes to sit on the beach for a bit.
Not a bad way to start my 2022 running program. 😊
What are you excited for in 2022?
Irie!
“Running keeps me busy until it’ acceptable to drink wine”.
(Etsy.com)
Walk Into the Future 