16 days and a wake up call...

My first place medal!

I have held my 5k PR for well over 2 years. 22:01. I've come close to breaking it once. I've been in the 22-23 minute range a few times when I've been well trained. But yesterday... at the New Year's Day 5k... I slaughtered it! I took 37 seconds off my PR finishing in 21:24, 3rd female overall and 1st in my age group! It felt so good!

I wore my pink Marathon Dress and lined up in the front row. When the announcer yelled "Go!" I took off! There is a small incline in the first quarter mile and this guy near me says, "I hate hills!" Smiling I borrowed a phrase from a friend of mine and shout out "I eat hills for breakfast!" and powered up the incline in true Skirt style.

Every time I looked down at my Garmin in the race it read something in the 7:30 range. Way to slow! So I kept trying to pick it up and run faster and faster. And then the mile would beep and it turned out that I was averaging 6:40s. I averaged 6:47 overall. By far the fastest I've ever run. My first mile was only 2 seconds slower than the fastest mile I've ever clocked! I know I can go faster too which is a big confidence booster.

So here it is... the end of my first week of taper. I am feeling rested. I am feeling excited. I am feeling nervous. And I am feeling ready. I can't wait for January 18th to arrive! Only 16 days and a wake up call away!