The week’s delay on this race was worth the wait. It was a great fall morning (cool but not too cold), the energy among the runners was high and though the spectators were fewer than last year – they were enthusiastic!

I have not run a 5K since I ran this same race last year – so my goals were simple: to have fun and to try to PR – done and done!

It was fun to be running another race with my hubs J. We got our family set up along the course where they could easily spot us both heading out and coming back, and then we headed off for a quick warm-up run to the start. When we picked up our numbers & race shirts, we found out we’d each won one of the raffles – How fun…prizes and we hadn’t even run yet! We ran into some people we knew and chatted with them while we watched the finish of the kids’ fun run. Then they called us to line up. J gave me a kiss and we wished each other good luck then he headed to the 10k line – that was the only bummer cause we had hoped to run the first mile together, but the 5K and 10K lined up separately. Then we were off.

In hindsight I wish I had been bold enough to line up a  little closer to the front cause I spent the first half mile or so weaving around people before I could get some space. But I found a comfortable pace and settled in. Before I knew it I was at the first mile marker and I heard the volunteer calling out the splits say “9:30” – say what? I checked my Garmin for the first time…yep 9:30! Then came mile 2 — uphill with a slight down hill break then climbing again. I gotta say the policemen and volunteers along this section were great! I definitely slowed here – still gotta work on my hills.

Yes those are cars – the roads were not closed

Thankfully mile 3 levels off. As I hit the final straight stretch I glanced at my Garmin and knew a PR was in reach – time to push and I did.  Chip time 30:51  (Garmin said 30:41) — a 2:26 PR!

I quickly grabbed a chocolate milk, said hi to a few people and then headed back out to meet my family on the course and wait for J to come through. We had fun cheering the runners on and chatting with the other spectators. It was great seeing so many of the runners I come across in my daily runs out there racing.

Soon we spotted J coming up the last hill and looking strong – he finished 59:45 hitting his goal to run sub-1 hour! We collected our raffle prizes (a race sweatshirt and a gift bag from one of the local salons) and headed home. A good way to spend a morning!

This was a fun race with good, challenging courses – and the fact that it was right in my town is an added bonus! We’ll be planning to run it again next year and my oldest is already talking about doing the kids race 🙂

Now it’s a little less than two weeks til Philly….let the taper begin!