CRUSHED IT!

I CRUSHED my best 5k time today at the HB Surf City race. My previous PR was 28:22 (lame) and I destroyed it today by posting a 24:28. I was (and still am) on cloud 9! I guess I earned the right to wear that skin tight Under Armor shirt (I will probably feel like a dork anyways). It was chilly and overcast, perfect conditions to run. They didn't put mile marker signs for the 5k race in highly visible places so I wasn't able to keep track, but in the end I think that helped me. I had an idea of how I wanted to run, but since I couldn't keep track I just ran at a pace that was uncomfortable, but manageable. Around the two mile mark (I guessed) I saw a guy about 15 yards ahead of me so I just fixed my sights on him and stayed at his pace. At a certain point he began slowing down and I caught up to him and said, "Come on man, I'm pacing myself with you," at which point his chuckled and picked up his pace. We ran side by side for the rest of the race and once I saw the finish line we both started cranking and I think I beat him by about one or two seconds. I think that not being able to keep track of my pace and just going on feeling (and friendly competition) allowed me to post a good time. Crazy. I ran for the Michelob tent and had a beer to celebrate.

Anyway, I'm drinking beer, dinking around and kind of watching football. Not a bad day.

I (Kristen) didn't do too shabby today either. I beat my last - and only other to compare to - half marathon by 13 min. It felt good... I didn't have much of my "juice" left at the end of the race so I'm not sure how much I can improve in the future. Next Saturday is another 10k and I get nervous about local 10k's since I usually place around 2nd or 3rd and feel like I need to defend my hometown of Lakewood with a good time. That's lots of pressure for me - more so than just surpassing my last PR.

Speaking of pressure, yesterday I worked on remodeling my friend's kitchen all day, didn't have a sip of wine (never do the day before a race) and I couldn't imbibe today until I finished my annual "self assessment" for work. Yeesh, I hate those things. Anyhow, I just finished that tedious task, am sitting out back in the studio and have in my fist a gorgeous glass of 2006 Beckman Estate Cabernet. Mmmmm. Good enough to almost ignore the football inside the house.