Runner's Rambles: 5k why have you forsaken me?

So it may seem like I've gone off the map, but in all reality, I have been on the map...running. I have gone back to work, so it seems that until I get on a better schedule, or I get myself in gear to get up earlier, then my posts might be a bit sporadic for awhile. I have still been struggling with staying on my training schedule and getting up early enough to beat the heat, but this week has been good so far. I have already done one strength training session and logged 3 short runs this week. I've got another strength session on the books for tomorrow morning, which leaves me Saturday to sleep in!! Wow! No 5 am alarm. No snooze button...10 times in a row. No place to be! Ahhh, I can't remember the last time that I set myself up to feel good about getting all my workouts/runs in to be able to sleep in on a Saturday with no regrets.

I got up just early enough to run before getting ready and heading to work on Tuesday and Wednesday, and though I still need to wake up earlier to really beat the heat, I felt good that I at least logged the miles even if they were sluggish and somewhat uninspiring at the time. I was happy to have a morning off today because Matt and I signed up for a series of night races this summer, and tonight we ran the first one. Technically this is the second race in the series, but Matt and I were home in Missouri when the first race took place. I was a little sad to miss it, but it was nice to see my family, and I still got some good running in with family.

Not lookin too shabby for post-race!

This race was a 5k at a small park in a neighboring town. The course is a one mile loop that you run three times...obviously. I am still not sure how I feel about night/evening races after this. I felt like it took place at a somewhat awkward time, so I tried to eat at the right times to keep myself from starving, but I was unsuccessful. I did like that I was able to get a full night's sleep, and I didn't even have race jitters throughout the day. The jitters didn't set in until we were in the car on the way there, and I was suddenly in full-on irritated mode.

I am somewhat frustrated and baffled by the 5k distance for a race. I can run 3.1 miles under 30 minutes when I am doing a training run by myself, but I have never actually had a successful 5k race. I feel like they are for the extremely fast and the beginner. Granted, many people would consider me a beginner with my measly 2 years of running under my belt, but I don't think my 5k racing should be as terrible as it usually is. The worst part is that before today, I had never run a 5k race that I didn't end up walking at least part of. Again, training run by myself? Fine and dandy. 5k race? Suddenly I can't suck it up. Well today, I sucked it up, and I don't have the chip time yet, but I think we came in just over 30 minutes. (Neither one of us wore a watch...smart, I know.) And I think I'm ok with that time considering my history with this race distance, but I am still annoyed that makes me one of the slowest people in the race, and I just feel like I should be better than that at this point. Oh well, I have never claimed to be fast, and now I have a time to beat for the last race in this series on the same course.

Soundbite Side Note

On my long run last week, I listened to a podcast episode of To the Best of Our Knowledge entitled, "Born to Run." It was very fascinating, and I really enjoyed it. I am probably going to listen to it again to catch the parts I missed when my attention faded in and out as it tends to do on a long run, but I think it is definitely worth a listen. Check it out!