This past weekend I competed in the Pensacola Beach Run. It was a “choose your own distance” type of race. The course consisted of a 5K, 10K, or Half Marathon loop. Everyone started at the same time and you could choose at what distance you wanted to turn around. It was a neat concept and a wonderful morning to run.
I told my bride-to-be to inform her sister and roommate that we would be by to pick them up at 5:50am sharp to head down to the beach (where the race took place). With the cold weather and early start time, I knew it was important to get there early to loosen up. Once we arrived at 6:15, I noticed there was a poor turnout so far—hardly anyone was there. I started my stretching around 6:20 and continued to look around…Long story short, we later found out the race began at 8am. “Better to be an hour early than an hour late,” I said…Embarrassed? Yes. Hilarious? Absolutely.
It was a crisp morning with a gentle breeze and a bright sunshine. Couldn’t ask for better weather. As the announcer yelled “Go!”, I took off and started my journey. I couldn’t wait to see Jennifer and ask her how her 5K went. Her sister (Melissa) and her roommate (Lauren) ran the 10K distance—also a big accomplishment for them! Going into the race I set a goal to beat my previous half marathon PR of 1:47. This time I was aiming for a 1:45 race time. It was tough having the mixture of racers starting at the same time. I didn’t know who was doing the 5K, 10K or half—each pace is different! I knew that I had to maintain a steady 8 minute mile in order to accomplish my goal, so I did my best not to pay attention to the other runners around me. This race was between me, myself and I. I looked down after the first mile and saw that I was at a 7:14 mile. After telling myself to slow down a bit—at least for the first few miles—I couldn’t help but maintain a comfortable 7:30-7:45 mile throughout most of the race. I was feeling great. The course was flat and there was not too much of a headwind on the way out to the turnaround. At the turnaround (roughly 6.5 miles out) I glanced at my watch again and realized I was kickin’ tail. I fell into my steady groove until I reached between mile 10 and mile 11. I then kicked it into another gear as I approached the final miles. Making my last turn, I knew I would beat my 1:45 goal, but also noticed that I was just seconds away from finishing in under 1:40. I crossed the finish line at 1:39:31 - averaging a 7:41 minute/mile pace. A new PR!
What then? Well I downed a few bottles of water, ate some fruit, and made a dash for the beer. Hell, the beer’s the best part. We hung around long enough to find out Jennifer placed 3rd in her division—I was extremely proud of her! Melissa and Lauren also placed within their respected divisions—it was a great day all around!
Finished 6th in my age division at 1:39:31
Jenn is always a great supporter!
