5K download

I can officially say I ran my very first 5k this weekend.

My goal was to finish. Running the whole time, not stopping to walk once.

Check!

I did it in 34:05. My average pace was 11:25/mile, which was significantly better than the 12:30/mile I had been doing during training.

All in all, I was pretty damn proud of myself.

Mr. KK, his parents and my parents all showed up for the big event. While I think it was just a ploy for everyone to go out for breakfast, it was nice to have the support.

As a newbie, here are my impressions of my very first road race.

Overall observation: if you ever want to give your low self-esteem a kick start, hang out with the pre-race crowd, that is inevitably filled with long-legged, 6-packed individuals who prefer running with as little clothing on their lean bodies as possible.

Best T-shirt: "Blood, sweat and beers"

Most Disgusting Thing I Witnessed: the guy who ran barefoot. On dirty city streets. (Did I mention he was barefoot?)

Moment that made me question parenting: seeing a 4- and 6-year old running with their mother.

Most inspirational moment: watching a 90-year old man cross the finish line, after receiving tons of fist bumps mid-race from fellow runners.

Moment I could have done without: the pre-race "Oh my god I have to poop!" feeling.

Race moment I'm proud of: NOT pooping and finishing (tie)

Time to start training for 2012!