My 5th 5K

A week passed and still I didn't get the chance to get back on the road to run. With my crazy schedule there is no way I can train again. I now work 12 hours and it's almost dark when I get out of work so my only option is to re-enroll in the gym. I did. But I only got the chance to work-out once and it's race time again.

We were early this time. I called Heather ahead of time so that we will not be late. And yes, I drove this time too. The McDougal Apple Orchards was the venue for my very first 5k Trail Run sponsored by Sanford Springvale YMCA, the company where I work. There were not a lot of people when we got there compared to what I used to when I get of the venue of the race. The ambiance was just like a typical apple picking weekend. We picked up our race number and shirt at the barn. I saw some familiar faces and said "hello". I even saw my boss Matt who just came running and soaked in sweet from his 3 miles warm-up run. Whew! He did join the race and was one of the top ten. At the later part of the race he cheered me on at the finished line.

The trail was gorgeous despite some unfriendly terrain. It rained the day before so it was kinda slippery because the fallen leaves on the ground were soaked in rain water and mud. The scenery was awesome and the foliage was breathtaking. The air filled my lungs with the sweet smell of the ripen apples on the trees. If I didn't twist my ankle, it was a perfect run despite with my 43minutes and 22 seconds PR. Yes, it was slow. In fact it is the lowest PR I got so far since I started running but I have an alibi.

First of all, it was my very first "trail" race. Trail running is very different from road running. It's harder, in my honest opinion. Second of all, it was slippery and I twisted my ankle. And third of all, I didn't get the chance to train again. Oh well, I was just whining as usual. But over-all experience - it was an awesome run.

My [official] 4th 5K

Okay, so my supposedly 4th 5K didn't happen and I didn't get the chance to sign up for another race for August and September. But I was able to sign up for another race this October. The only problem is... I didn't realized that I signed up for 2 races this month. Urgggg!

Here's the thing. About 3 months ago I signed up for the very First Fit at 5K sponsored by WCSH6. It's scheduled today, 8th of October, 2011. Last month out of desperation to join another race, I signed up for the YMCA 2011 5K Trail Run. So the bottom line is... I will run 2 races two Saturdays in a row. Worse thing is I didn't have the time to train. Oh well, I decided to train on the race day itself. hahaha

The Fit at 5K was awesome. I clocked in 37 minutes and 47 seconds. Very impressive compared to my previous race and definitely something to brag about considering that I have not ran for 3 weeks. But more than that, this particular race is special because this is the very first race launched by WCSH Channel 6 spearheaded by no other than Kelly LaBrecque. I got the change to see her in person because she was there the whole time. It would have been awesome if she joined up. But then, the race is not about her. It is about those people who made a crucial decision to take charge of their lives and chose to be fit and health. Majority of the runners are first-timers and it felt so good because it gave me a little confidence and edge. wink**** Kidding aside.

It really felt good when I crossed the finish line with Kelly handing me my medal.It was such a fun race. It was such a memorable run. It was such a successful event. And I got my very first race medal. Yay!