City 6 5K 2010

Just a quick update of the weekend’s events…

Lauren and I signed up for the City 6 (all of the major Philadelphia colleges) 5K race on Saturday down by the museum.  With a full day of apartment shopping ahead of us, we thought it would be a fun way to get the day started.

An early arrival at the race gave us enough time for a short warm-up and to scout out the competition.  In an effort to not get caught behind slower runners at the narrow start I positioned myself in the second row, with Lauren a few rows back.

I stayed with the lead pack for quite a while and was under 6:00 for the first mile.  At this point the crowd started to thin out and most of us settled into position.  At the turnaround I was under 9:20 and felt really strong.  I was surprised to have a pair pass me in the closing miles, but I was able to latch on to one of them and reel in another as the race continued. 

With the course being out-and-back, I was able to see Lauren strutting her stuff confidently and exchange a few well-wishes between gasps for air.  Unknowingly, I slowed a bit in the second half, but had just enough for a closing kick and nipped a competitor at the line to finish just a shade under 18:48 (good enough for 14th overall and a new PR!).

I raced off to the car to grab the camera and excitedly waited for a very confident Lauren to come down the finishing chute.  In no time she rounded the bend and I snapped away with her fancy SLR!  I turned around to see the clock and had to double take as she had crushed her previous best time at the 5K distance…PR’s for both of us!  Things are lining up great for her to blow away my first broad street run with her own!

The day continued with lots of very intense decision on pots, plates, towels, shower curtains…and so much more!  Soon enough it’ll be time to find all new races in the DC area.  Can’t wait!