BC Run to the Plate Recap

Another Saturday, another 5K!

 

For those of you keeping count at home, this is the 4th race of mine this year and the 3rd one in a row for February. I'm really enjoying running every single Saturday morning while it's still somewhat cool outside. This will all come to a crashing halt soon enough when the humidity and 95 degree days come rolling back into town. But for now? For now I enjoy it.

 

This Saturday was the Brookland Cayce Run to the Plate 5K. It's a 5K put on by a local high school's baseball team that's run on the neighborhood streets around the school. For being the 6th annual race, it wasn't a big one, but I was 100% ok with that.

 

It was a pretty simple course that finished on the baseball field. I'm always a fan of races put on by high schools that let you finish on a football field or baseball field - makes that last sprint towards the finish line much more fun!

 

Mile 1

This race started off fast and a little unexpectedly. One minute the race director was thanking sponsors, the next minute he was yelling "ready, set, GO!!!" and I think the start caught everyone off guard. I started out way too fast and had to keep reminding myself to slow down a little bit so I wouldn't get tired before the end. There was a not so fun hill about half a mile in and the hill's only redeeming value was that at least we'd get to run back down it at the end of the race.

 

Mile 2

Most of this mile was on a turn around loop that ended up putting us back on the same roads we ran for mile 1. Pretty sure

 

Mile 3

I spent most of this mile running solo. There was a group of people in front of me and there was a group way behind me... but no one within like 50-100 yards of me. I usually like to run near someone so I can pace off of them and keep myself motivated but I had none of that this mile which had me a little worried about running too slow. I picked up the pace a little bit when we hit the hill from mile 1 {since we got to run down it this time rather than up it} and a little bit more when I saw the high school in the distance.

 

But I really, really picked up the pace when I ran out onto the baseball field and saw the finish line clock at home plate just was the numbers were flipping from 27:58 to 27:59. I was going to set a new PR! I full on sprinted out the last less than a tenth of a mile... arms flailing, total risk of tripping over my own two feet before the finish line type of sprinting.

{see what I mean? 6:37/min pace for that last 0.1 miles... I've never run that fast in a 5K before!}

 

Final Results

Watch Time - 28:18

Chip Time - 28:18

Pace - 9:07/mile

Age Group - 2/5 {but I ended up snagging 1st place!}

Gender - 13/54

Overall - 38/103

 

Yup. You read that right... ANOTHER 1st place finish in my age group! Technically, I finished 2nd in my age group but the girl who finished first was also the first overall girl in the race. You're not allowed to "double dip" in awards so since she got that one, it bumped me up to 1st in our age group.

 

It was also a PR for me by about 15 seconds.

Next up: the Lagniappe 5K this Saturday. It's a Mardi Gras themed race that kicks off a Mardi Gras celebration in the Rosewood neighborhood that includes a parade and a festival at City Roots. I might have to stick around for all of the post-race fun!