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U Can Finish 5 Miler

October 14, 2012 by Michelle 5 Comments

Today I did something I haven’t done in more than 6 months — RACE!

It started with a 5:45 wake up and a quick 3 mile warm up. I wanted to make sure that I still got in the 8 miles I planned for my training run. The best thing about splitting the run up like this is that while 8 miles isn’t terribly long (in comparison to running 20!), it can start to feel long around mile 6 – especially when you are a little bit rusty. Today there was none of that today! The 3 miles consisted of 1.5 miles out and back, which made it felt nice and short.

I got home around 6:30, did a quick shirt change, and then helped the kids get ready (they cheered me on!). Paula arrived around 6:45 and a few quick pics we headed over to UCF for the U Can Finish 5 Miler (somewhat related side story: for many, many years UCF was referred to as “U Can’t Finish” because of lower graduation rates) .

photo

I’ve decided that’s a lucky hat.

It took us maybe 10-15 minutes to get there and to make things easy, Dan dropped us off near  the Arena (where the race started). I still have no idea why I haven’t done this race before – it’s so close to home and even with almost 1,400 finishers it didn’t feel like a cluster. Nice job Track Shack!

Before the race we ran into a few friends, although I have no pictures of this actually occurring because I left my phone behind. #bloggerfail. That said – it’s always fun to see friends at the butt-crack of dawn when you look your finest.

MePUCF5

(Courtesy of Paula)

The race started on time and with one last wave to my family – I was off! The first mile seemed the longest (there was a lot of dodging) , but then the miles seemed to tick by. I took the race SLOOOOW as a) I am still trying to build back my higher mileage and b) it’s as fast as I could go. It was also pretty humid at the start – although it was nothing compared to last week, so I can’t complain!

The race course was really nicely laid out. There was a few twists and turns and some very minor uphills that kept the race interesting. Plus, I didn’t realize that UCF was so pretty! It’s changed a lot since I check it out for colleges a gazillion years ago.

Around the 4 mile mark I got to high five the kids – and B even ran with me a little. He was SOOO excited.  I saw them again right before the finish too. I wish I had known they would be there, I would have had B finish with me! I ended up coming in at 48:34, which was slower than the pace I was going for (9:30) – but since it’s my first 5-miler race that’s a PR baby! Speaking of the finish – Carissa was there announcing her heart out. I don’t how she does it – especially because she always seems so alert and chipper!

UCF5Miler

Also from Paula.

After the race (which Paula rocked!!), we ran into Danielle, Kelly, and a few of Kelly’s friends. The last time I saw Kelly was right before her marathon in May. A lot has happened since then, so it was good to catch up.

We then headed back home for pancakes (and obviously a shower) which resulting in me passing out in carb-coma and taking 2.5 hour nap. That felt good. Actually, the whole DAY felt good. I love getting up for a race again. Can’t wait to do it again in December at OUC!

photo

So in summary — yay for a good training run and race with a great friend. What a nice way to start a Sunday!

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Filed Under: Races, running

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Comments

  1. Jessica @ Sushi and Sit-Ups says

    October 15, 2012 at 6:53 am

    So cute that your family was cheering you along! What a fun Sunday!

    Reply
  2. Diane @ DixieJulep says

    October 15, 2012 at 5:27 pm

    Glad to hear it was a good race for you. After much procrastination, I sucked it up and decided to register for the Distance Dare, and it was surprisingly fun. I thought waiting around between races might really be a drag, but actually, it was a nice little break and the two-miler flew by. The nice weather and light crowds certainly helped. I think I’ll definitely add this one to my racing plans for next year.

    Reply
  3. Ashley@cupcakesncrunches says

    October 21, 2012 at 7:30 pm

    This post is too funny – I graduated from UCF and remember everyone saying it stood for “You can’t finish.” Congratulations on your PR! 🙂

    I just found your blog and I love it! I’ll be doing the Zooma 1/2 marathon in Florida in January! Maybe I’ll see you out there!

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      October 21, 2012 at 8:26 pm

      Yay on running ZOOMA!! I’m so excited about that race. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for you!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. U Can Finish 5 Miler - 2013 - Crazy Running Legs says:
    October 13, 2013 at 9:29 pm

    […] The answer to question is YES. Yes, I CAN run faster. Well, faster than I could at 11 weeks pregnant. […]

    Reply

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Meet Michelle

I'm a working mom of three who somehow became a runner. I also like to eat, drink wine, and laugh. Sometimes I'm dramatic and I definitely don't EVER get enough sleep. Read More…

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