Race Results

Hello, everybody out there! Thank you for all who are still checking in on me even though I have been pretty sporadic with my posting and commenting lately. I promise things are about to get back to normal. My girls started school today and my son starts tomorrow.

As most of you know, I ran a 5K on Saturday. It was a great event! It was put on by and for the Utah National Guard with all proceeds going to help families of National Guard members. The event started with a moment of silence for fallen soldiers and a flag ceremony. I loved this.




The race started with a cannon being fired. It was sooooo loud and startled most of us runners. I wasn't sure what kind of crowd to expect and was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't too big. I think I heard someone say there were about 500 runners. A far cry from the thousands at the Race for the Cure. I knew I should be able to get a good time with not much gridlock at the beginning of the race. And here is a picture of me running across the finish line, where my family was waiting for me:

Do you see that time!? It says 32:40. Now, that is a FABULOUS time for me! Too bad it is not a 5K time and only a 2.8 miles time. That's right, the route I ran was not 3.1 miles. At the mile 2 marker I noticed that Leo, my Garmin wasn't showing 2 miles and it was off. Hmmmm...I wondered. Then when I was finishing it only said 2.8 miles. Hmmmm...I wondered some more. Later on, I asked a man wearing a Garmin what his had recorded and he told me it was about 2.8. Then he told me that the timing truck had made a wrong turn somewhere and the runners in front had followed it and so went the pack. Bummer! I still feel good about the time. My pace was right on what I have been running my 5K in the neighborhood at just under 11 minutes. I know I ran for about 2.1 miles (according to Leo and not the race markers) before stopping to walk and then ran the last .11 miles and some in between as well. Overall, I am happy.

Yet, I am bummed I wasn't able to get a time for an official 5K race. I think I could have had a new PR. The next 5K I am doing in September is more of a fun/run fundraiser for a local school so I'm not sure how official it will be. I guess it will still be a race with other people and I will have Leo so I can time myself then.

Tomorrow I plan on adding 1-2 miles to my normal run/walk schedule. I hope doing this a couple of times a week will help condition me more and jump start my weight-loss again. The scale has been moving in the wrong direction this month!

And finally, today is my birthday! I am 37 years old. The 5K on Saturday was kind of a birthday present to myself. I feel like the way I have been living the past 8 months has been a gift to me and I will continue to get better and better (thanks Kyle) the older I get. I don't know how much

the number on the scale factors into one's overall fitness level, but if you take my number out of the equation I can honestly say I am the best shape of my life. I am exercising more and eating healthier than I ever have. The scale number may not be as low as at other times in my life, but
everything else is better. Now that is something this birthday girl can celebrate!