Running Unencumbered: Race Recap Y'all

Kaiser Permanente Women's Fitness Festival 5K RACE RECAP!!!!

Pre-race! From left to right: me, Meredith, Tomiko, Danielle.

I'm a week late in posting this, so I'm going to do the best I can. I spent the weekend in Sacramento with my best friend Meredith, celebrating the end of our first year as music teachers. Most of the weekend was spent in the apartment relaxing (read: playing Lego Harry Potter, etc) but we did decide to run a 5K together.

Woke up race morning, headed over to Tomiko and Danielle's apartment (they last-minute registered to run the race with us), got ready and headed out to the capitol, hoping that the rain would stop.

At this time I have not made barefoot peace with the rain, so I decided to wear my Five Finger Treksports. Otherwise, I knew I would have bits of asphalt and debris sticking to the soles of my feet and I didn't want that to happen.

We started in the 2nd corral at 8:10. I told Meredith I was going to run at her pace and try to push her to get a PR, and just enjoy the run with her. I'm glad I did, because although I know that I could have done the whole thing faster, it was just so much fun being by her side doing this together (this is the farthest we have run together, EVER).

Various moments in the race were memorable:
1. The guys on their front porch watching the race and telling all of us ladies that we were an inspiration.
2. Meredith thanking the police officer monitoring the race just because he was good-looking.
3. Me telling Meredith she had to earn her booze and the woman next to us confessing that she was going to order a mojito afterwards...
4. The most ADORABLE little boys handing out water at one of the stations. None of the other volunteers were getting any love because these two were so cute.
5. The woman cheering us to the finish saying "I'm old and fat, you HAVE to beat me!"
6. And finally, as I pulled away from Meredith towards the end saying that I was going to make her chase my ass, she magically reappeared at my shoulder saying "Ready? Ready? Go!" and pulled a dead-out sprint towards the end from who knows where!

That last one happened so fast that Tomiko and Danielle, who were waiting for us at the finish, didn't have time to get the camera ready. Thankfully the race photographers were there to capture the gloriousness of our sprint faces (ugh. Why.)

My right hand looks like I'm swimming. What are you trying to pull?!?!

I think Meredith's face looks great here. I'm thinking how the hell is she beating me?? Also, what the heck am I doing with my right foot? And of course, I am oddly intrigued by the respective positions of our *ahem* chests.

Overall this race was really well organized. Packet pickup was easy and convenient, there were a TON of freebies and the whole foods breakfast was delicious. The race t-shirt is amazing and so cute, and there was just so much stuff to see at the expo. I will definitely run this one again next year!

Our final time ended up being 41:37. A PR for me, since this is technically the first timed race I've ever completed! Looking forward to smashing that one out of the water at the next 5K I race. Below are a few more photos, before and after the race. My bedhead looks AWESOME.