Daytona 5K...what fun!

Saturday started early for me! I had been out a little later than planned with my friend Tanya and her other half Graham. I was good and didn't have a glass of wine with dinner and ate light. I knew I had to be up at 4:30 am! So I get up, have no problem getting out of bed, took a quick shower so my hair would be somewhat easy to deal with and cuddled up on the couch with 1/2 a bagel. I watch one of my DVRed shows and then got dressed. I woke Cody up to see if he wanted to go with me, and bless his heart with 4.5 hours of sleep (he did stay up late with Daddy) he got dressed and went with me. The morning seemed to be going off without a hitch. I called Sueann and made sure she was up as I was headed over to Tanya and Graham's hotel to pick them up when I realized I had forgotten my iPod and my Forerunner. I had to go back! Mind you it is 38 degrees outside and DARK! I managed to forget to bring something warmer for Cody than his sweats. We get to the race track at the same time as Sueann and her family. I have never been inside the track before this. We walk in and get on a tram and ride around the back loop and into pit road where we send everyone off to register the boys for the kids race and we go to get our chips and meet up with our friend Zik and Sueann's cousin Amanda who had also signed up. It is COLD COLD COLD! We get up to the start line and I'm jumping up and down trying to stay warm. This is the biggest race I've ever been in with 2000 runners and who knows how many walkers (they had a different gun time.) The gun went off and Zik took off, then me, dodging through people like a rabbit. I had barely trained before this race, so I was happy when I looked down and noticed I had maintained a sub 10 minute mile. I had been taking in the enormity of the track. I can not believe how huge it is and how high the banks are on the sides. My next split wasn't as good I had creeped up to 10:20, the 3rd I was back just above 10 and had finally caught a comfortable stride. Next thing I know, I'm coming around the last corner and there in the distance is the finish line! I looked at my Forerunner and saw I was going to come under my best time! I wish I had been able to run more in the 2 weeks I was off..but well...I didn't and it showed or I would have picked up speed!

I made if in 31:10, my pace averaged 10:03/mile. For only being into running for 6 months I'm very happy with the progress I made, considering some of my more seasoned running buddies told me not to expect this big of a drop in my time until into my 2nd year. I'm hoping this time next year I'm running 25 minute 5Ks!

I missed Cody's race, but took him out on the track to get pics of him running across the finish line. We also looked at cars, checked out the garages where they were prepping the cars for the Rolex 24, had bagels and bananas. It was a nice day. Poor little guy took a 5 hour nap when we got home!