Onto race recap #2

Bread and Honey 15k

This was it, the goal race post-injury. I looked back at my plans for the season and figured that Bread and Honey would be a realistic time frame. I put in the strength work, built up mileage and hammered the hardest workouts I’ve ever done to get ready. Josh had me working at 3:35/k pace for workouts to develop my speed which was crazy to me but somehow my legs managed.

Race day came and I was super nervous. I had no idea what pace to run as I was unsure of my fitness level. I decided no slower than 3:50/k. I got my race kit on – my Skechers singlet, GoRun 4’s, and Skechers shorts. 

I got the nerves a bit controlled and lined up. The gun went off and I was off a bit too fast like always. I looked around and saw that no other girls came with me. Soon the biker found me and said she “you’re mine to follow” which was so exciting for me – a first. 

I stayed decently consistent throughout the race. I felt great in the first few k, and when we looped around a parking lot I took a look back and saw no girls within a minute of me so I knew it would be a push from the front.  

I knew from the previous year it was a hilly course. Some really steep up hills challenged me. Moreso the challenge was pushing by myself at the front. I lead the race from start to finish. There weren’t really any men around me either – no man’s land. I’d catch myself slowing down after hilly sections and had to fight mentally to keep pushing as I didn’t want someone coming from behind after me. I kept saying if I’m at 4min k’s a lot of girls can run that but if I’m under they can’t – that kept the legs spinning. This is my go to mental trick, always gets me pushing harder. I fueled once during the race – my awesome sponsor Honeymaxx was on course and that went down so well. One last huge hill at 9k and I was off to the finish. I broke the tape – another first! What an experience! My first big win! Even better was the time – 57:30, 5 minutes faster than last year. What a pb! Noted the year before I was in horrible shape but still!

Here are my splits:

• 3:34, 3:40, 3:40, 3:59, 3:46, 3:49, 3:44, 3:45, 3:49, 4:06, 3:54, 3:53, 3:39, 3:53, 3:53
• 57:25 finish for 15k, 1st overall female

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Post-race awards were a bit complicated with sportstats mixing up things but in the end I got to stand up on the stage and hold my first big trophy for my name to be carved into.

This race was very important to me. I’ve been making the push to go to the next level and this really reinforced it for me. Being able to split 19 low 5k’s back to back is exactly where I want to be going into the fall season to break 1:20 for the half.

Onwards and upwards! Keep grinding