Run Like the Dickens – Round Two

Last year around this time I made my way to Michigan for my internship interview and it happened to be the weekend of the Run Like the Dickens 5k in Holly.  Shortly before (less than a month I’d say) I begun “training”, really getting into running for the first time.  My first 5k was more walk than run and I finished in 41:14, a 13:17 pace.

This past Saturday I decided to go for it again.  Now this will have been my 4th race (Run Like the Dickens 2010, Warrior Dash 2011, Great Turtle Run 2011, Run Like the Dickens 2011).

I awoke bright and early on Saturday, ate a slight of toast with p.b. and a banana, drank a cup of coffee and checked the temperature.  It was an extremely chilly 12 degrees.  I ended up wearing two pairs of yoga pants because I don’t own any running tights, a running turtleneck, and an active wear coat.  Many many layers, but after freezing my butt off last year and it was even warmer then, I figured I would need it.  Turns out I was right.

Don’t I look cold? That’s me with my Uncle Steve by the way.  He wasn’t as cold as me

It was so cold in fact that at the start of the race, they announced that we needed to be careful because the salt wasn’t melting the ice. Oh joy.

It turned out to be a great run though.  At the beginning my feet were numb and I was a little worried.  But by the time I got to the first mile I could feel my feet and by the time I reached a mile and a half, my whole body was feeling good.  Even my breathing was fine which is unusual for me when running in cold water.  I was warmed up and feeling great.  Until I hit mile 2 when my left knee started to hurt.  That darn knee always screws me up.  So I did some speed walking and tried to run some more but I didn’t do much until the last 0.1 where I sprinted.

I came in at 35:54, a 11:34 pace.  That’s 5 minutes and 20 seconds taken off my time from last year!  I was so excited! But I could only imagine what my time would have been if I didn’t have to stop for my knee.

So I’m pretty darn proud of myself for that one.  I bought a knee brace the other day to see if that will help me from now on.  I’m not signed up for any more races at the moment but I hope to be soon And who knows, maybe I’ll have to make it an annual trip to MI to relive my inaugural race.