Harvest Festival 5K Race

On Saturday my sister and I both ran the annual Harvest Festival 5K.  This race is somewhat of a big deal in our area as it is in conjunction with a two week harvest festival. The first weekend is the bike race (which we’ve never participated in) and the second weekend is the 5K race, which we've run several times.

Our dad usually runs this race with us but because he had shoulder surgery this year, we thought it best that he set this year out.  You don’t realize how much you use your shoulders in running until you start to do it!

As soon as we got our bibs, we headed towards the start line and immediately saw our Pap.

My Pap knows I am not as fast as Lacey, so real seriously he says to me before the start of the race “I know she is faster, so I brought you something.”  At that time he pulls an inhaler out of his pocket.  “When you start to get short of breath, just take a poof of this” he says.   I know he meant to be helpful and at 85 years old I guess you can say whatever you want, but I had to tell him that I couldn’t use his inhaler.  I don’t have asthma, I’m just slower!

In all the years I have run this race, this is the first time the National Anthem did not play. It was a 1,2,3, and we were off.   

Here is how our individual races went.

Before the start I eye up my competition (don’t judge, you know you do it too at local races).  We started promptly at 9:30. We had a new race director this year and he put on a great race!  

The first mile I was running way too fast like I normally do (6.38) (6.55) (6.59) average 6.49. I knew I needed to slow down but I was feeling good. So far no one had passed me. After seeing my time I thought well someone will be creeping up behind me soon like they usually do. But that was not the case. Instead I passed a few other runners. I was still feeling good at mile two when my watch clocked in at (6.55) I was wondering if I had enough gas in my tank to keep my last mile under 7 mins. 

About this time I saw my parents cheering for me along with other spectators and that must have gave me an extra boost of energy.  Still no one had passed me and I wanted to look behind me so bad to make sure no one was going to sneak up behind me but I didn’t.  Usually I sprint that last couple feet because I am trying to pass someone, but this time there was no reason to because there was no one behind me. I finished first female overall with an average pace of 6.49 per mile. I received a nice plaque and a gift card to a local shoe store.  My sister has a very different experience with her race.  -L

While Lacey finished her first mile in 6.38, I finished in 8:50. I didn’t feel like it was too fast for me, but it must have been because the next two miles were much slower.  My only goal for this race was to finish in the same time that I’ve been practicing. I pretty much ran my own race, passing a few, and people passing me here and there.  I had passed the 3 mile mark and I was about 200 feet from the finish line when out of the corner of my eye I saw someone in an orange shirt coming up on me. 

I had not seen this person the entire race and I don’t know what got into me but I just put it into high gear and started sprinting to the finish line. I heard the crowd all screaming and cheering and I didn’t know if they were cheering for me to “go” or cheering for the other runner to “pass me”.  My legs were moving so fast that I seriously thought I was going to trip and fall.  I made it across the finish line before the other runner and earned 3^rd place in my age group.  I wondered if me speeding up at the end was sort of a jerk move.  We congratulated each other at the end and I found out that we were in the same age group. -M

It was a great race for each of us! If our dad was running, I'm sure he would have kept up his streak and placed in his age group as well.

The race got a new director this year and he really stepped it up with the awards. Aren't they awesome?  

                                                      We will be linking up with the gals from TOTR.

Harvest Festival 5K Race

This weekend I ran the Harvest 5K with my dad, sister, and friend.  I've run this race several times and even placed first in my age group before, but I haven't ran it in a few years.  I was hoping I could place first again.

The race is a local race, so even though I did not register ahead of time, the cost was only $15 which is a bargain. The race started  at 9:30 am which is normally a good thing since it's not too early but the weather this weekend did not feel like fall at all, it was more like a hot summer day. It would have been better if it was earlier to beat the heat and humidity.

We didn’t even leave the house until 8:45 am (it is only a 1.5 away from our house). Once I arrived, I went into the Municipal building and signed up for the race, and was able to use real restrooms which is always a plus.

Yes, the start line is right in front of the McDonalds!

Then we made our way over to the race start where they were starting a kids race. We watched that race then we began to make our way to the start line.

We lined up and there was a gun shot start and we were off. The course is a flat route that loops around the main portion of the town. It's kind of nice that it's all decorated festive for fall.  Of course I started off way too fast. I told myself I needed to slow down since we were only a quarter mile into the race. I did pass one lady, but then soon enough two other ladies passed me. Does anyone else eye up their competition?

 I thought ok there is only two other ladies ahead of me now, not knowing what their age group would be in since you only see their back when they are passing you. Shortly after, there was another lady that passed me. She did look a little younger than me but I wasn’t sure. I was struggling to keep up with the pace I was running, but I kept telling myself it’s only a 5k I can push myself more! I know you shouldn’t say “just” in any race because it’s an accomplishment but I am used to running much longer distances, not thinking of the pace you are trying to withstand for the distance. That is the challenging part.

Pictures are blurry because it was so humid.

We were coming up to the last stretch of the race and I knew there were three females still ahead of me. There was no way I was going to catch up to the first two, but the third one was right ahead of me. So I kicked it in high gear right at the end to make sure I crossed the finish line right before her, and I did!  After crossing, I was able to get my results printed out right away. I looked at the sheet and I saw I came in third. I was a bit disappointed since the last time I came in first.

Then I looked at the paper more closely and saw that I placed third female overall and 1st in my age group, with an average pace of 6:45. I felt much better about this.

My dad even placed 3rd in his age group. We waited for our medals to be handed out then we treated ourselves to a cupcake and whoopie pie. After eating that, I thought heck I better run home instead. So I ran the mile and half back to the house.  -L

Harvest Festival Race recap

Every year my parent's town hosts a Harvest Festival. Its basically two weeks of festivities. The first Saturday is the bike race and the second Saturday is the 5K race.  Although none of us ever participated in the bike race, my family has been running the 5K race for several years now.

I know this may sound silly, but this 5K race was actually my goal race for the year. After coming back from the Disney Marathon this year, I decided to do more local races and concentrate on smaller distances.  Another thing that has made this my goal race is that each year we run it, I'm the only one in my family that never places...womp womp!

Unfortunately my sister wouldn't be in town to run the race this year so it was just me and my dad and my running buddy Jay. Jay and I ran several races together this summer and he has been pulling out PR's like crazy but always just misses placing in his age group. But we both agreed that placing in your age group in your 30's is usually difficult because there is such a large field in that age division.  Those of you in your 30's, would you agree with that?

So anyway, my only goal was to do the best I could and come in under 30 minutes like usual. I had some pretty good training runs in the days before so I felt pretty confident that would happen, but hey, ya never know.

The race started at 9:30 which I think is normally a little too late for a race because it gets so hot but really, this day was a perfect day for running.  As far as local races go, this is probably one of the largest 5ks in the area.

I am familiar with the course because I have been running it consistently for over a month now. The only difference is that I was running on the sidewalks and not the roads.  I thought by running on the roads that I would pick up speed but to tell you the truth, the sidewalks were flatter then the road was. Because we had to run in only one lane, I was running near the edge and the road was banked. I don't think I ever noticed this in previous years because I hadn't run the race course anytime before the race.

Around mile one we turned on to the next road and that road felt better to run on. I was so thankful for the lady running beside me because she was keeping a great pace and it motivated me to keep up. I ran with her and we intermittently chatted for the first two miles.

 I saw my mom, Scott, Baylee, and Belle spectating a little after mile two. At this time a man ran up beside me and was talking to me. The last mile of a race is when you want to push and not when you want to be having a conversation. He said "so, you run like an 8 or 9 minute mile?".  I said I didn't know but just wanted to finish in under 30 minutes.  He said his goal was 29. He told me plenty about himself.  He asked where I was from, and how old I was.  He was friendly enough but I thought he asked a lot of questions.

As I ran around the last corner I knew I was for sure going to make it under 30 minutes but as I came closer to the finish line and could read the clock, I thought I could perhaps PR so I gave it an all out sprint!   There were two timing mats at the finish line and I didn't know which one actually recorded the finish time so I turned my Garmin off right after I stepped on the last mat. I'm glad I actually remembered to turn my watch off right away! That doesn't usually happen during a race.

Speaking of Garmin, I didn't look at my watch the entire time I was running so when I finally looked at my stats I was surprised to see that my first mile was actually ran at an 8:30 pace. That's good for me, I haven't seen an 8 on my watch in a very long time! Oh, and I was actually off a PR by a few seconds, but I didn't care. I was pleased!

So getting back to the race,  As soon as I walked away from the finish line I saw my friend and he was just over the moon because he finally place in his age group! He not only placed, he got first! Woo hoo! I was so happy for him!

Unlike years past, the water and snacks were actually placed right at the finish line. This made it very nice because my mouth was so dry and I desperately needed a water. In previous years the refreshments were in the yard beside the building where we register/pick up bibs which was across the street.

After congratulating my friend, I looked to see if I could see my own time. I couldn't believe it, I had placed too. Looks like I had placed second in my age group! I later saw that my dad had placed third in his. Wow, this was turning out to be a great race day for all of us.  A few minutes later the lady at the results table said she had an updated version of the results. My friend and I both panicked because we thought perhaps our placements had got changed, but ours all remained the same!

It seemed like they did the awards ceremony much earlier this year then they had done in the past. I wonder if they wanted to do it right away  while most people were still there and before they started wondering around the festival?  I like that they did the awards right away and I liked that they did them right at the finish line were everyone was already.  However, there were still people running and crossing the finish line as the announcer was giving out awards. I did not like this aspect and thought it was a little disrespectful to the runners who were just coming in. It was almost like telling them that the race was already over by the time they crossed.  Not cool.  But then again, I have never organized a race so I don't know what their time line was like.

Our little group of winners. 

It was nice seeing so many friends and family at the race today.  My Pappy even comes out each year to watch us run which is nice! Wish I would have thought to get a picture with him. I wish Lacey would have been here to run. I know she would have placed in her age group as well. -M

P.S Sorry this recap is longer than I thought it would be. Thank you if you read the whole thing!


We are linking up this race recap with the gals from TOTR.

Harvest Festival 5K

 Every year our local area puts on a 5k race in celebration of the Harvest Festival. None of my family ran it last year, but my dad and sister ran it in 2013 and I ran it in 2012 and then another time a few years back.  The last time I ran it I placed first in my age group. I run a lot more now than I did back then so I was hoping to place again!

 

We had a beautiful day for the race. The best I can remember in recent years. The race did not start till 9:30 am and it was already starting to get hot. This was a chip timed race, however there was not a timing mat to step on as you started the race, there was only the finish line timing mat.  So I guess those that started near the back had the same start time as those in the front.  That isn't really fair but I guess since it is only a 5K it's not like anyone needed this as an official time to qualify for another race! 

Right from the start, I felt short of breath and just didn't feel right. Knowing that I won first in my age group before, I wanted to meet my goal again. Since it was a local race, I knew a lot of people there and I felt that added pressure to make sure I did well. The first mile I didn't feel like I was going that fast since my breathing was off. I looked at my Garmin and it read 6:47. What??? I have to slow down. No wonder I didn't feel right. I knew I had to hold my pace back the following miles. When I did that, I started to feel a little better. Even though I finished strong, I wasn't feeling very confident with my time this year, like I had in the past.

I met my mom, Scott, and Baylee at the finish line and waited for my sister and dad to cross.  After they crossed we had to walk across a parking lot back to the  lawn of the registration building to get water and snacks. It wasn't a far walk, but it would have been nice to have the water given out somewhere right past the finish line, especially since it was such a hot day. The race was pretty organized and right away they had our names, times, and places up on a board to view. I saw that I placed 2nd in my age group, which I was still happy with. My dad said that he placed 4th, and of course awards were only for the first three in each age group. 

 

 

 We stayed for the awards ceremony and we were surprised as well as my dad was to hear his name being called for 3rd place. Silly guy can't read the results right. He says, "well I'm glad I stuck around."  I was also fortunate enough to win one of the door prizes, free admission to one of the corn mazes!  Later that afternoon I went back downtown to visit friends and watch the annual parade.

What a beautiful weekend.  Next up, is a 5k through the Vineyards next weekend. I will be looking forward to that.

Do you like running local/small races? -L

Harvest Festival Race and Road ID ( get your free shipping)

We had a very exhausting weekend so I am afraid our Runner's World visit post will have to wait until tomorrow when I can spend more time on it.  For today I will just do a brief recap of the Harvest Festival Race I ran on Saturday with my Dad.

I've run several Disney races with my dad, the Hollywood Movie Madness Race ( which he placed in his age division), and most recently the Run for the Dream race in Williamsburg, VA.  My dad is a great race buddy!

This is a local 5K race and it is a very flat and very fast course! This race is very popular among the local track and field team ( so there were lots of students running this race). Lacey won first place in her age division in this particular race last year!

 This wasn't on my list of races to do until the last minute, so up until last week I haven't been doing many 5K training runs.  I have to admit I have a different method of running when I'm training for a 5K versus a 10K or longer.  I already had my Garmin watch set at 3 min-30 sec. intervals.  I will run my normal pace for 3 minutes and then for 30 seconds I will really push and run a little harder.  This method has worked well for me in my last few training runs and I have been able to keep my 5K time under 30 minutes which was my goal.

Me and my dad before the race.

For the first full mile I was running neck to neck with another girl who was running my pace. I asked her what her goal time was and she said 25 minutes.  Although I knew I wanted to finish in less than 30 min, I was certain I wasn't going to be able to keep this pace in order to finish in 25.  So by mile 2, I slowed it down a bit.  I don't think I followed my  3 min-30 sec intervals the whole time. I ran slower when I had to and pushed harder when I felt I could.  

As I was nearing the finish line, I saw one of my friends who knew that my goal was to finish in less than 30. She was cheering for me and letting me know that I was going to do it! I saw the clock ahead and started pushing harder. When I crossed the finish the clock read 27:56, although for some reason the official print out said my time was 28 min.  Either way, I was very happy with my time. A new PR for me!

So neither of us won any age division award, but I did walk away a winner. Not only did I PR, but I won my choice of Road ID.  I've been reading a lot of posts lately about the Road ID bracelets, so I was excited about my prize.

If you are considering a Road ID of your own, I can offer you  a code for Free Shipping!
Just enter this coupon code at check out:  ARR2828 

I didn't realize there were so many styles of road ID and even ones that you can wear on your shoe!

Do you have some sort of Road ID that you run with it?

Thanks for reading.  I hope you all had a fun filled weekend.    ~M