Brass Tacks: Maudie’s Moonlight 5K 2013

Total time: 0:29:30* (PR!)(Old PR:30:39 at CapTexTri2012
Average pace: 10:33/M (Goal 10:00/M) (PR 10:29)

Lows: As always with this race, the heat and humidity; not having accurate time, pacing, distance tracking, an epic breathing-rhythm battle in the final mile.

Highs: A new PR (!), my Chariots of Fire moment kicking into my highest gear for the last 400m to beat the clock; feeling as healthy as I have in the past year of running (for the first two miles, anyway), running a negative split (I truly did not think I was physically capable), and looking around to see three girls around me with M-dots (a t-shirt, a visor, and a tattoo. Seems like I’m able to keep good company now, and all I want to do is get an M-dot of my own!).

* This is an approximate time.

Before you kill me over how inappropriate it is to have an “approximate PR,” let me explain. I didn’t get a timing chip because this was supposed to be a fun-run with co-workers, so official timing, pace, and group placement data is unavailable. When my Garmin broke after five runs last year, I swore off that level of personal data tracking. I did run GPS on my Nike+ app, but got a pop-up message for the first quarter-mile that “GPS signal is weak.”

According to the Nike App, I averaged 9:46/mi (9:33 at the fastest and 9:56 at the slowest) but only went 3.09 miles. The total time on the Nike+ App is way off, too, since it took me about 15sec to regain consciousness, get the phone unlocked, and get the app turned off. Based on the race clock, I crossed the start line at 0:00:40, first mile marker was about 9:30, and second mile marker was 17:00 (this is where I think I got the negative split, though that would have Mile 2 at a much faster pace than as reported by Nike+). As a ran down the chute toward the finish line, the race clock was in the 29th minute, so I layed down the sprint. I crossed with the race clock at 29:57 just so I could be absolutely positive that I ran a sub-30 5k. I think it’s better than that, though, since there was time on the race clock before I crossed the start line. The best I can tell, the actual time would be 29:17 (29:57 less 0:40 at the start), but since I have no real proof, I think calling it 29:30 is fair.

Popsicles for PRs!

And I’ll take it.