Ras na hEireann

[aroraborealis]

With running these days, I'm like the newly converted -- I can't stop squeeing about my newfound love.

laurenhat and I stood around for about 5 minutes at the start, where we ran into my uncle's friend Steve and chatted a bit. It was cold, but nice -- my preferred running conditions, for sure. Shortly after we crossed the starting line, we saw moominmolly and dilletante, running the wrong way. They gave up fighting the crowd and caught up with us soon after, and the four of us ran together, with some leapfrogging, for the first a-little-more-than-half.

I was a bit behind in my training plan, which means that this was my first time running a full 5k. If I'd been totally on track, I'd've already run that distance a couple of times. But! I'm kind of glad I hadn't! This was a much more climactic way to reach one of my milestones.

I'd been wondering if running a race would really be worth all the hassle, and it really was. It was totally different running with a whole crowd of people and with spectators and cheerers and not having to worry about cars!

Plus, I feel wicked awesome. I totally ran 5k!!

[Edited to add: My official time is 37:48, for a 12:10/mile -- faster than my typical training run by about :20/mile. AWESOME!]

Comments

[dbang.livejournal.com]

OMG OMG OMG!!!


YAY! GO YOU!!!

[aroraborealis.livejournal.com]

Yay, thanks! Yeah, yay!

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

You are wicked awesome! Also, races are great. Spectators! CHEERING!

[aroraborealis.livejournal.com]

You are also wicked awesome! And thank you for all your encouragement in this -- it's all your fault! Well, a lot your fault, at least.

[dancingwolfgrrl.livejournal.com]

Hooray! You are, in fact, awesome :)

[cruiser.livejournal.com]

Welcome new convert - we're glad to have you! You ARE wicked awesome!
It's worth noting that there are smaller races that will still get you the 'running with a whole crowd of people' and 'not having to worry about cars' aspects, although the smaller the race is, the less likely spectators & cheerers are.
Also, most people are able to run faster in races than they can in training. The enthusiasm & adrenaline of the start, and the crowd of people running with them carries them along faster than being out by themselves.

[lightcastle.livejournal.com]

BRAVA!

[amber-phoenix.livejournal.com]

yay!

running rocks.

next we'll get you doing tris :)

(not that i've done one yet, but oh boy do i have dreams.)

[aroraborealis.livejournal.com]

When my boss heard I'd taken up running, her first comment was, "Next, triathlons!" I scoffed. Now, of course, I'm thinking maybe, just maybe I should see about taking those swimming lessons to improve my form, as I've been planning to do for some time...

It's the biking part I'm not so sure about. Yeah, that's the ticket.

[amber-phoenix.livejournal.com]

the biking part will be cake. biking also rocks :)

[blk]

That's pretty rockin'.

[agaran.livejournal.com]

That is a very respectable pace! Wow!!! You go, girl!

(At my peak of training, I was running 9s, and that was after years of work; I started at, like, 13s. And this was 30 years ago.)

benefit of the doubt

[dbang.livejournal.com]

I think what you meant to say was "Wow! Great job!"

Re: benefit of the doubt

[agaran.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's what I meant.

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

One a month?

[aroraborealis.livejournal.com]

You're on!

[wolfkitn.livejournal.com]

how very awesome! you would leave me in the dust, icing up my knees, wondering what that red-streaked blur was...

[points.livejournal.com]

Very cool! You rock. :)

[rintrahroars.livejournal.com]

W00T! Awesome to see you reaching your goals! Inspiring!

Congratulations!

[laurenhat.livejournal.com]

Woot! You rock! We rock! YAY! :D

I've been having vague triathalon thoughts, too... :)