5K: Atlanta Women’s 5K

And the exciting endurance adventures of Swim Bike Mom continue. This morning was the 2011 Atlanta Women’s 5K race and event sponsored by the Atlanta Track Club.

Amazing, huge event.  Sold out at capacity of 2,000 racers.

All women. Alll running in the same direction.  A man’s complete and utter nightmare.

I finished the race at just around thirty-four minutes, or approximately an 11:00 mile pace considering the crowd and the very slow start.  Not fast.  But definitely steady.

I learned quite a bit from running a race of this size, so alas, ….the SBM newbie tips:

1)  Get to the Porta Potties early.  While there may be plenty of johns for capacity, there is much less chance of landing in one with a giant stink-o-rama if you manage your pre-race go a tad early.

2)  For that matter, get to the race early.

3) Watch where you are going during the run.  Potholes.  Roots.  Caution cones.  And in a race like this: other runners are literally, everywhere.  This thing started off like a 5K sandwich. While I think most of the walkers tend to start behind the runners, apparently this rule/courtesy/trend is willy nilly.   I almost had a few collisions with rear ends  – and clearly, I’m not even a fast runner.  I’m sure the speedy gals were jumping around my slow tail also.  Just made me realize how much I need to pay attention.  This was a good prep for a race the size of my Oly race in five short weeks.

4) Remember where you parked.  Enough said.  This race finished in a different place than the start (which may be standard… I have so little experience to lean upon).  I did a little wandering post-race before I figured out where I was.  Again, maybe that’s just me.  I wandered in front of a golfer during his shot on the adjacent golf course.  He loved that.

5) Check your mile markers.  Or make sure you have the super fancy versions of GPS. My base model Garmin and Foot Pod is just wrong, wrong, wrong.  After last month’s 5K, I thought it was a glitch.  But last month’s race was hilly as all hell, and maybe I really did truck along at a snails’ pace….a twelve plus minute mile.  Disappointing in retrospect and quite humbling… but if that’s the case, then fact is fact.  And again, that race was in the freezing cold rain, and some serious hillage.  So.

After completing this race and Ms. Garmin stating I completed 3.6 miles at a 10:00 pace, I realized that she is a dirty little liar.  The race ended (3.1 miles), and my time was 34:15.  Those numbers don’t work.  Therefore, Ms. Garmin appears to be off by about 0.2 of a mile….per mile…I run.

Today, at mile marker one, Ms. Garmin said I had run 1.2.
At mile marker 2, she was lying, saying I was at 2.4.
At the finish, another lie. Ms. Garmin said I had completed 3.63.  Ugh. Dirty little liar.

And my biggest newbie lesson.  To be more careful with careless, blind dependence on gadgets, and focus on facts and feel. During my training, I thought I was running farther and faster than I was.  But that’s okay.  Better adjust now in the last few weeks of training before St. Anthony’s.  I’ll just add 0.2 to every mile, and go forward.

And actually, I was faster today than last race.  Last race, I finished 5k at 36:11.  This race, I finished  5k at 34:15.  That’s just plain faster.  And therefore, that means I win.  I will refrain from a timely Charlie Sheen joke.  Bleck.

Hope ya’ll have a fantastic weekend!