I really wanted to be in Baltimore on Oct. 13 and I couldn't believe how excited my husband and I were about the race. I love the feel, the excitement, and the crowds in a big-city race. The weather was perfect. It was warmer than last year, about 47 degrees which was cool, but not cold.
We almost didn't make it. My logistics called for leaving the house at 7 a.m. for a half-hour drive into Baltimore with 15 minutes to park and walk to the starting line. This would give us 45 minutes before the start of the race to stretch, go to the bathroom, and watch the marathoners take off. But hubby decided to take a different road into Baltimore, and this cost us a stress-filled and argumentative 30+ minutes. The roads were closing and cars formed a single file line which snaked slowly into the stadium parking area which was filled to capacity. I honestly thought we'd never get to the starting line at all. But in the nick of time we found a parking spot and sprinted over to the starting line with just 10 minutes to spare. We swear we'll leave the house earlier next year and watch our stress management!
And we took off. Both of us found it easier this year now that we knew the course and what to expect. The Baltimore course is known for its hills, and the 5K race heads uphill for the first mile or so. I tried to think of it as a long incline, which I prefer to steep hills. I hit mile 1 at 12 minutes, as I did last year. Then the rest of the course went downhill, and I was able to speed up. I felt pretty good, considering that I hadn't run at all for several weeks since the injury and I took the last week off completely to rest a sore muscle on the side of my leg. As I was heading toward the finish line I got a right side stitch, so I tried to deal with it. The biggest hazard on the course was potholes and sewer covers and I nearly turned my ankle on one, but then a running angel caught my elbow and asked if I was OK. I replied that I was, but never said thank you. Thank you!
I came in at 31:40 -- a personal record for me!! It was a really great day and I was happy to be there and happy to be in the running.
My goal now is base, base, base!!!! I need a stronger base and a higher level of fitness to get to the next step.
We almost didn't make it. My logistics called for leaving the house at 7 a.m. for a half-hour drive into Baltimore with 15 minutes to park and walk to the starting line. This would give us 45 minutes before the start of the race to stretch, go to the bathroom, and watch the marathoners take off. But hubby decided to take a different road into Baltimore, and this cost us a stress-filled and argumentative 30+ minutes. The roads were closing and cars formed a single file line which snaked slowly into the stadium parking area which was filled to capacity. I honestly thought we'd never get to the starting line at all. But in the nick of time we found a parking spot and sprinted over to the starting line with just 10 minutes to spare. We swear we'll leave the house earlier next year and watch our stress management!
And we took off. Both of us found it easier this year now that we knew the course and what to expect. The Baltimore course is known for its hills, and the 5K race heads uphill for the first mile or so. I tried to think of it as a long incline, which I prefer to steep hills. I hit mile 1 at 12 minutes, as I did last year. Then the rest of the course went downhill, and I was able to speed up. I felt pretty good, considering that I hadn't run at all for several weeks since the injury and I took the last week off completely to rest a sore muscle on the side of my leg. As I was heading toward the finish line I got a right side stitch, so I tried to deal with it. The biggest hazard on the course was potholes and sewer covers and I nearly turned my ankle on one, but then a running angel caught my elbow and asked if I was OK. I replied that I was, but never said thank you. Thank you!
I came in at 31:40 -- a personal record for me!! It was a really great day and I was happy to be there and happy to be in the running.
My goal now is base, base, base!!!! I need a stronger base and a higher level of fitness to get to the next step.
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