My friend, Ramona, had been persistently telling me I should run this race, insisting that I would get a PR. I hadn’t PRed at the 5k distance since 2012 (the first year I started running!) so it was definitely time to see what I could do. I was a little worried since I hadn’t really done any training runs with the exception of the Paws in the Park 5k the weekend before. As it turned out, my husband’s company was one of the race sponsors so it all worked out!
Lucky for me, the race ended about 1.5 miles from our house, so I didn’t have to get up super early. They shuttled runners to the start line. The course starts at the top of a “hill” and you slowly make your way down (hence the name of the race). For the 5k, 2.29 miles of the race was downhill, and 0.28 miles were flat. That only leaves about half a mile of hills…not too shabby for a race in Georgia!
The Fast Pace Race benefits prostate cancer awareness, education, and treatment options.
I met up with Ramona and another friend, Paula, at the starting line. We all run different paces but it’s nice to start the race together…gives you a chance to chat and get rid of any pre-race jitters as well as to pass the time.
They played the National Anthem and the race started! I went out WAY too fast in the first mile, so my second mile was definitely slower. I picked it up during mile 3 and flew into the finish line with a 14 second PR! (Thanks to my husband and Ramona for the pictures)
I was super excited…14 seconds isn’t a lot, but it’s a PR, especially considering I’d done little to no running outside. I have to credit Orangetheory Fitness Cumming with that…my endurance is so much better and I feel stronger when I run!
We hung around for the awards and Ramona as well as some of her other friends placed in their age group. Super proud of her! We were also sporting some InknBurn, so we had to document it.
After the awards, we headed to Cracker Barrel for food and laughs. it was a great morning and a great race for a great cause. I’ll definitely put this race down on my calendar for next year!
Until next time,
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