Third Place and a New 5k PR

This morning I ran in the CUA Law School's first Race Judicata, a 5k to benefit an infant home in DC. Last night before bed, I was all set to go - laid out my clothes and everything. But still needed...something, a pep talk perhaps. So, I called my dad, whom I hadn't spoken to in a few days. He told me to show them my indomitable Yankee spirit. At first I laughed, because I never really think of DC being in the South. But then, I thought, maybe I just need to have that mentality during the race.

I got to the race with more than enough time to spare, and they delayed the start of the race because of some delays on the metro. That gave me some time to size up the crowd and see where I fit in. It's hard to tell who is fast and knows what they're doing until the gun goes off. At that point, a few women shot out really fast, and I felt a little disheartened, thinking that there was no way I could keep up with that pace. Evidently, they did not know what they were doing, because they slowed down quite quickly. Women 1 and 2 were out ahead, and I was with Women 3 and 4 as we went up the big hill. I decided to draft behind them for a bit, and then when we reached the top, I picked it up and left them behind. Woman 2 was just far ahead of me that I knew I could not pass her, but she served as a good pace for me. No mile markers, but I knew the water stop marked the halfway point. Despite the hills, I ran fairly even splits. I looked behind me a couple of times and I was firmly in 3rd place. With less than 1/2 a mile to go, one of the officials yelled "Third Woman" and so I knew I was all set with my place. I stopped looking at my watch in the final push and just threw down the hammer. There's never any mercy at the end! I finished in 22:24, which is a 10 second PR for me (and on a hilly course!). I was really excited to place in this race - there were a lot of good runners out there today. Following my finish, I was congratulated and handed a gift certificate to a nearby running store - woo! There was an award ceremony afterward, and it was great to talk to the other placers. A friend of mine, Suzy, won the women's race, so it was great that the two of us placed. This is a picture of us after.
It was a challenging course, and I think that made my time and place even more rewarding. The race was a great start to my day. Racing has really built up my confidence a bit. I never would've imagined that I could place in races, but I'm getting there! Making great strides, quite literally, it seems. And my father was right, I showed that Yankee spirit!