I miss you

Report:
Today's run was long, hard, hairy, smelly, and fun. Kind of like me in bed. Wakka wakka wakka!

But seriously, it was nice to be able to get this run in with my lack of running this week and my mother in town for the weekend and Mother's Day all wrapped into one. So I took the opportunity and ran with it. Literally.

I started out early this morning and ran from my house to the local YMCA. The weather was nice and cool to start but warmed up enough after a mile that I could strip off my arm sleeves. Once I got to the YMCA I was warm enough to take off my gloves. I got there a bit too early but I wasn't sure about my pace and timing and how fast I could get in and out of Sheetz (a local gas station - kind of like 7-Eleven) so I was okay with the big cushion. I registered for the Domestic Violence 5k at the Y, ran into a fellow runner (Wayne) I met a few weeks back, and just chilled out.

Once the race started I just took it easy and ran. I wasn't in any rush to win a prize despite the small field. There were plenty of walkers but also plenty of speedy runners so I settled into the middle of the pack. I was surprised to come across the one mile mark so fast and could feel some sluggishness settle in just before mile 2. My pace was a bit slower but I managed to keep at it through mile 3 before picking it up just a hair. Not only did I manage to run the entire 3 miles without a single walking break (very rare for my fat ass) but I also managed to snag an unofficial PR. I don't know the final results yet but I think I shaved off about 20 seconds.

After the race, I chilled out a few minutes before heading back home. Nothing terribly exciting on the way home so no amazing stories to share.

Weather:
Temps started around 55F and warmed to about 65F or 70F. There was a nice cool breeze blowing around 5 to 10 mph. The sun was out the entire time. Humidity was low.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was water. I started my run with two bottles, one with Hammer Perpeteum and one with Hammer Fizz. I took a Hammer Gel around mile 4 when I got to Sheetz. I had finished my bottle of Fizz by then and refilled it with another bottle of Fizz. I had about half my Perpeteum left by then. Once at the YMCA, I didn't take anything before the race. After the race, I ate half a slice of a blueberry bagel with butter and cream cheese on it. I also refilled both bottles with some water and added more Fizz to one of them before heading back to Sheetz. At Sheetz I grabbed more water and topped both off before heading home. This watered down the solution for both the Fizz and Perpeteum but it wasn't too bad. Plus it let me make it home the last 4 miles. Before I left Sheetz I also had another Hammer Gel. My recovery was Hammer Recoverite followed by chocolate ZICO.

Aches and Pains:
My knees started to hurt around mile 10 or 11. Outside of that, things felt pretty good.

Gear:
I ran with no special gear but did take some extra "stuff" just to make sure I could make it. First, I had money. Some was for the race registration and some was for fluids at Sheetz. Second, I had my iPod. I listened to a lot of podcasts but kept things safe by only having one ear bud in at a time. Next, I had gels. I stuffed a few in my handhelds' pockets and one in my shorts. Also had a small stick of Body Glide. And I had my arm sleeves and gloves which I eventually ditched, I also ditched my shirt for the last 4 miles. And I had a Mini Fizz on me too. I'll explain more about that in another week or two when I show you how to make one.

Codename - I miss you
Catherine , if you're still out there, shoot me an email. I'd love to catch up.

Splits:
These splits are going to be confusing, so read the details.
Home to Sheetz - 41:26
Sheetz Aid Station - 3:54
Sheetz to YMCA - 15:36
YMCA Pre-Race - 32:03
Race Mile 1 - 9:48 (a bit faster than expected)
Race Mile 2 - 10:13 (slowing down a bit)
Race Mile 3 - 10:18
Race Total - 31:09 (unofficial 5k PR)
YMCA Post-Race - 15:14
YMCA to Sheetz - 18:15
Sheetz Aid Station - 3:24
Sheetz to Home - 41:34
Total Time - 3:22:37 (an adjusted time of 2:35:20 for just the running portion)

**UPDATE**
Official results are in and I scored a 3rd place in my age group as well as a time of 31:08. This is a new PR, beating my old one of  31:10 from 10/10/2010.