I FINISHED 3RD FEMALE OVERALL!!!!!
Okay, I just needed to yell that. Oh, and it was the 5k where that happened. 😀
Lemme start at the beginning.
As I’d mentioned before, I was the ambassador for this race and was very, very excited to be a representative out there. I went in with the intention of have fun and using it as a training run for Phoenix Half next weekend. That was the plan.
My high school running buddy Nadia was also doing the double challenge and she also planned on taking it easy. This pleased me because I’d have a running buddy and really, it would be my one chance to run with her (she’s way faster than me).
The 10k was first and we plodded along nicely at around a 9 minute pace. We chatted the entire way and eventually had no idea where we were in the park. Luckily the race had ample volunteers directing us because we were not paying any attention, lol! We rolled along and around mile 5 Nadia wanted to slow down and I decided to stick to the groove I was in. I finished the 10k at 55:05 with an 8:49/mile pace. Felt good the entire way.
The 5k was next and started about 30 minutes after the 10k. Nadia was going to stick to 9 minutes but I wanted to be around the 8:30-8:45 mark so we decided to go at it solo. I looked around the crowd one last time in search of my husband–he was meeting me before the start as my daughter would participate in the Kid’s Run after the 5k. I didn’t see him so when the horn blew, I began to run. I was going along nicely when at about a half mile in we approached the first turn. From where I was, I could count the people in front of me and saw that I was the third girl at that point. When we rounded the corner, I could see the crowd behind me and saw that the next couple of girls were a bit aways. This might be my only chance to place overall! Any plan I had at that point was out the window and I picked up the pace.
Just after the first mile, 7:55, I saw my husband and daughter and he caught this pic of me capturing how happy I was to see them
I kept it going, feeling good and mile two beeped at 7:58. I was still 3rd female.
When we reached the final mile, I began to speed up a little as I saw I was close to a PR. I figured I was so close, I might as well give it a shot. The race ended with a little uphill but I finished mile 3 at 7:39 and managed to beat my previous 5k time (and remain 3rd female!) at 23:55!!
As soon as I grabbed my medals I walked towards my husband and dragged him to the screens displaying runners’ finishing times. There I was, my name next to third female overall!!!
I know that this will very likely NEVER happen again (and thank goodness for small races, lol) so I’m glad I was able to finish strong despite having ran a 10k before.
But my bad luck with race awards continues…
Remember how at FroYo 10k my chip time never registered so I missed out on an Age Group award? Well Nick’s Run only awarded 1st and 2nd overall places ONLY!!!
WHOMP, WHOMP!!!!!
No 3rd place overall award for me 😦
It’s all good though because I can still say that at one point in my life I did that, lol!
On a positive note, they mail out Age Group awards and my times put me at 1st in my Age Group for both the 5k and 10k so I should be getting those! Super yay!
The best part of the race though???
THIS
Waiting for go time to start her Garmin ❤
I think she likes to run.
My daughter had an absolute blast running her race. The 2-4 year old distance was perfect for her and she ran the entire way by herself. I was such a proud mommy!!!
Admiring our medals
This was such a great race. Very well organized–like I’d mentioned earlier, the race was in a huge park and the course took you through several loops. There was a volunteer at EVERY turn directing you. I even saw the race director himself on the course pointing runners in the right direction.
And the medals. GORG.
I strongly encourage runners to race locally. So much thought is put into it and you can see how people truly care about the event taking place.
Plus, running smaller races gives you a chance to place 😉
–Do you run local races?
–Ever placed overall in a race? (Like Suzy, winning the whole damn thing in her first 5k)
–Have you raced two (or more) distances back to back?
Nice job! And your daughter is too freaking adorable!!!
She kills me. ❤
Gosh I’m so darn proud of you! Can’t wait to see you this weekend!
Thank you!! I can’t wait! So excited for you too!!!
Nice work Helly! Placing, PR-ing and your daughter having a ball running – so much awesome.
I was so happy! I was worried because I don’t know if you remembered last year when she ran, she struggled. So we weren’t sure how’d she do this time but she surprised us all! 😀
I remember that – glad she was able to run the whole thing herself!
Congratulations!! That’s an awesome time! That picture of your daughter and her watch is adorable.
Thank you! She was definitely the highlight of the race ❤
WONDERFUL JOB HELLY!!!! 🙂 You sure are bouncing back from your time off. It’s very motivating to read.
I won 1st female in a 5k once and I won first OVERALL (male and female!) in a 10k! Girl, it was a surreal moment, and it will probably never happen again.
RIGHT?? I was in shock when I saw that I was in third! And really, knowing the unlikeliness of it happening again is what made me throw caution to the wind and just go for it, lol!!
BUT, I think *you* could totally do it again!
Nice work, Helly! That’s so awesome! And your daughter is so cute 🙂
Thank you so much! ❤
WHAT THE EVEN HECK. You got third, and they only gave out awards for first and second? WHO DOES THAT?!?!?!?!?! What, does the third step of the podium just disappear? I am so frustrated! I’m glad you have such a good attitude about it. I’d be so mad!
I have to say though that it’s the coolest thing to be able to see your times improve each week! That injury was almost a good thing in a weird way. Or at least it seems like it?!?
Congratulations. 🙂 I am SO happy for you. xo
I know right? I thought that was strange but oh well. They didn’t have podiums but gave out certificates and I was like, “Why couldn’t you have printed off one more!!!” 😥 LOL! It’s all good though 🙂 Yes, I think I def needed the rest but I also think it’s helped that I just have been enjoying myself without putting so much pressure. I went in two the last two races with zero expectations and that helped me just run and have fun. I hope I can do the same at Phoenix and not be bogged down by a time goal. It will be hard though.
Yay Helly!! Way to go! You two are so adorable, congratulations on your achievements. That stinks that your effort as the third overall woman didn’t get officially recognized, but as long as it’s on Athlinks, right? ;). Even though there’s no big ceremony, we celebrate you!! That’s so awesome!!!
Thank you so much! And yes, it’s officially on record so if people don’t believe me I can point them in the right direction, LOL!!
Congrats on a couple awesome races, third overall is fantastic and the AG award for back to back races! I’ve never ran back to back races and only placed in AG a couple times, once at a pretty small half and the other at even smaller 5k!! Love that your little girl was wearing her Garmin and your whole family participated in the day!
She LOVED wearing a watch just like mommy and daddy, lol!! 🙂
OMG! I kind of want to send you a third place medal! Phenomenal and congrats!
Lol, thank you!! I was a little bummed only b/c I know that that will probably never happen again so I would’ve liked something to commemorate the moment but it’s all good 🙂
I was so excited to see you post about this on FB and was excited to read your recap! So awesome – 3rd overall female! WOW!!! And your time was amazing, so speedy! What a great recap!
I have raced back to back distances before. When I do the Runner’s World Festival, I do often sign up for multiple (if not all) distances. You can do a trail run on Friday, a 5&10K on Saturday, and half marathon Sunday. Challenging but SO FUN!
SO proud of you. AND your mini me- she is precious!!!!!
That does sound fun! Especially that you can do a trail run too! I would love to visit your hood someday 🙂
Yay, Helly!! You are crushing it in your races! I LOVE the picture of your daughter in her race!! My 5 year old likes to run with me and seeing her running, having fun, and wanting to be like mama is the best feeling. I finished 3rd female in a 5k once that was teeny tiny (LOL, hence I was able to place). They gave out medals, and having never won anything relating to athletics before, it was fun to win it. Of course, the results were never published online so my moment glory will only live on in my head and the picture my husband took 🙂 Congrats on finishing 3rd female, a new 5k PR, AND 1st AG in both races!!
You’ve got the medal to prove it!! 😀
Thank you!! ❤
BOOM! Here’s to placing! (recognised or not, well done you!!)
Thank you! I still can’t believe it!
OMG your kiddo with her Garmin and everything! So cute!
No matter if the place was podium, it’s still OFFICIAL! Nice job on absolutely killing it out there!
Thank you so much! ❤