Every great journey has a starting place. This is mine.

My BEST 5K race ever was 33:13 and change - and I honestly do not remember EVER running that fast back then. I feel that it was a timing error, however after reviewing the results for both me and my running partner at the time, we both finished in 33 and change, so maybe I just have amnesia.

The reason that I feel St. John’s was a fluke if not a timing error is that all my other races from that time period do not come even close to that time - but hey I could be wrong. I was never a consistent runner, in endurance, speed, or emotion. I always joked that I had two speeds - on and off.

Today. Well today I pushed myself. I mean I left NOTHING out there to be had. I couldn’t even sprint it in in the end. I was spent by the end. Loops and loops of hills really wear you down in time. But at the end of the day I can say proudly that I RAN my 5K today. I am sorry - I should have said that I SMASHED the 5K today.

4 laps totaling 3.1 miles.

Hills, hills, and more hills!

The race starts with a nice downhills slope across the train tracks.

You turn right and then you are going on a slight uphill which eventually flattens out and then bam! You are on an uphill that goes around a few corners, and then you flatten out to the finish line... which you pass 2 more times during the course of the race.

You then go on the flat, turn right and go downhill again to meet up with where you started and follow the same path you just left until mile 1.

Mile 1 - 9:08

Inner voice says "Fluke". Legs say otherwise. I feel strong, I feel confident - and heck I just bagged some cushin time! By the way - this is my FASTEST 1 mile ever, in a race or out. 9:22 was my quickest mile before hand, and that was during Turri Race Day 10K back in 2003 - mile 1. I had to run walk the rest of the way during that race due to going out of the gate way too quickly.

You keep on following the same loop as you started - up hills flat up hills flat, downhills flat uphill until mile 2.

Mile 2 - 9:16

Inner voice says "hey - not so much a fluke." Legs agree - still feel strong and push up the up hills, but I can tell that I am starting to feel a little fatigued. Only 1.11 miles left! I can do it I just need to push it.

I then realize that I am able to pull out a 30minute 5K or even under if I really dig my heels in (figuratively speaking of course) and push myself. I am doing it. I am going for it. No slackin goff now - MUST. PUSH. THROUGH.

Oh guess what - you keep looping until you hit mile 3, and then through the last flat to finish. I tell you what - I was really fatigued on that last hill as you can tell by my last mile time.

Mile 3 - 10:03

Inner voice says "OUCH. FATIGUE! I can do it!" Legs agree. They are very fatigued, but I know that I can push push push and hit that 30 minutes. I am SO close! There is no way that I am going to let up now - so I lift my head up and charge up the last hill to mile 3 which it crests at.

Now here is where I loose faith in Garmy. According to my Garmin GPS unit, AKA "Garmy", I ran 3.11 miles in 29:39 or so and finished the 3.21 miles race in 30:twenty something. Garmy says the course was long by 0.1 miles. No biggie - I know that I pulled out an amazing race on one of the hilliest courses I have ran on of this length!

According to the chip/mat time I finished 3.11 miles in 30:twenty something. Garmy shows the same time - just different miles. I will have to go with Chip time as that is what is recorded - so my official time has yet to be posted and I forgot to hit my Garmy to stop it - so once it is posted I will know what my for realzy time is.

At the end of the say I have killed both my goal (sub 35) and my stretch goal (sub 33). I even approached and brushed up against my 2008 ultimate 5K goal of running a sub-30 5K.

Some of the greatest things about this race - running it knowing a lot of people on the course - all of the RunningFit peeps were there, my partner in crime Lana was there, and a few other tri peeps were there as well. I got to cheer them on, and they cheered me on as well.

It was great running with people, running into people, and just being in an atmos phere where people were cheering me on as well. It definitely made me feel like a runner. I am so proud that I pushed and that I lived. I know that I can do this. I know that I have had a MAJOR improvement in the past 6 weeks - but I have earned it for sure.

This little victory makes the past 3 months, and all the months ahead of me well worth it.

Every great journey has a starting place. This... this is mine.

Thank you everyone who has encouraged me and supported me these past few months... and heck my lifetime! Lana, Chia, Doug, Ken, Jane, Waddler26.2, Par, Ava, Mike (of course!), Heather (thank you for your amazing words the other day!), Casey, Karen, Jules, Kim the soon to be iron girl! , Kelly W., Christina... everyone! My efforts are not in vain or for vanity and you all understand this.

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