Sunday, June 26, 2011

My First Race!

I did my first 5k today!  It was the Baltimore Women’s Classic in Baltimore, MD.  What a day!
My day started bright and early at 5:30 am.  The kids, Mike and I all piled into the car and were on the road by 6am.  After a trip through the McDonalds drive thru, we were cruising down 83 into the city.  We parked and were on the race field by 7:30.  The festivities were well underway when we got there.  They had the music pumping and the crowd was already getting pumped.  Lynn Brick, a local fitness celebrity, did a quick warm up with the racers and we were off to line up! 
The start of the race was lined with bright yellow signs that have minutes per mile printed on them, and then walker/stroller.  I joined the crowd at the 13 minutes per mile sign.  In no time, the gun went off and the race started!  The beginning of the race was slow.  It took me about 3 minutes to actually cross the starting line.  Very quickly, I learned that I put myself to far back in the line up. Most of the first mile I spend weaving in and out of walkers, jogging stroller and slower runners.
 Once the crowd thinned out some, I hit my stride.  I tried to run about 3 minutes and then walk about 1.  The course had some slight hills, but was nothing too difficult.  This being my first run, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of spectators all along the course cheer one everyone, not just their loved ones.  I really appreciated that and it kept me going.  The first water station came at about the 1.5 mile mark.  That brought another first run surprise.  The wonderful volunteers handed out water in small plastic cups.  There were plenty of trash can to dispose of the empty cups in, but there were many women who chose to just drop their cup—right there on the course!  I found this very rude, and it really slowed me down.  I could not run though all the trash right on the course. 
The final quarter mile was by far my favorite.  I was getting tried and could feel myself loosing stream. Then we turned our final corner and ran right along Baltimore’s inner harbor.  The water is so beautiful and inspiring in the morning.  I got my second wind and finished strong.  As I was running down the finish line, I glanced at the official clock.  It read just at 44 minutes.  Crossing the finish line was a great feeling!  I actually did it! 
Once I was though the shoot, volunteers on both sides of me started handed me things.  Not knowing what to expect, it was a bit overwhelming.  I was very tired and excited at the same time.  I was first handed an ice cold BWC logo towel.  It felt great to cool down and wipe off some sweat.  Then another volunteer handed me a bottle of water—another very welcome finishers gift!  I was so thirsty!  I was then handed a beautiful pink rose, and then a bottle of Muscle Milk.  Once I was out of the finish line, I stopped, looked around and just enjoyed the moment! 
Now the hard part was over and it was time to reunite with my family.  We got some snacks and took some pictures.  They had a lot of snacks to choose from—like bagels, apples, oranges, and watermelon.  After a whole bottle of water and some water melon, I met up with some new friends.  We then hit the race expo (I got some new Bondi Bands!)  After that, it was time for lunch with the family. 
I was very happy with how I did in my first race. The BWC was a good choice.  The other runners were very supportive, and it was nice to run in a women only race to get the hang of it.  It was a good learning experience of where to start, how to deal with crowds and how to pass other runners. The race goody bag and shirt are awesome!  I will post about that tomorrow!
My official chip time was 41:55. 


A dream is a wish your heart makes......

--Amy

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21 comments:

  1. Congratulations on your first run!

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  2. Congrats on your first run! I also ran my first 5k recently with the goal of completing the 2011 princess half marathon. We're on our way! :-)

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  3. Great job! Great seeing you today! And the cups? Get used to it. LOL! No one throws those away in the bags or boxes provided. They are just part of running. And with Princess, there are gu packs at at least one water station and people drop those too. Be very careful when you get there because there is gu on the course, as well as the packages.

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  4. Congratulations! You are officially now a "runner". Remember this race when you get to mile 10 of the Princess Half...you can tell yourself only a 5k left, "I got this!"

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  5. Congratulation Amy!

    Shelia

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  6. Congrats! That's an awesome time! Jealous you got to run near the harbor as well... sounds gorgeous!

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  7. Great Job Amy! You are so determined and an inspiration. Keep up the good work.

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  8. Thanks everyone for all of the encouragement! It was such a great feeling to finish! I think I am officially addicted! I just spent an hour looking for some new races to sign up for. If anyone has any suggestion, I would be very interested---looking in the southern PA/ northern MD/ MD and DE shore areas.

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  9. Yay Amy!

    I grew up in Bethesda, MD, so it warms my heart to read you ran your first race in Baltimore. :) :) :)

    In Bethesda, there's a Turkey Trot 10K on Thanksgiving, but that's probably too far away. Maybe Baltimore has one too?

    Anyway, congrats on a race well run!

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  10. Congratulations and I am so glad you had fun - that is the whole point! And your goodie bag sounds awesome ... don't get too used to that!! Keep running and having fun ... the Princess Half is coming up!
    Michelle from Katy, TX

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  11. Thanks for sharing, and congratulations!! It always warms our heart to read stories like yours, and we are proud to be a part of your journey. Keep up the great work and pursuing your goals!

    Carrie Sauter,
    Chair of the BWC 5K

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  12. I just saw this link of Facebook...congratulations on your first race! I rank the BWC as my first 5k last year and I agree, it is very empowering to run with all women. Good luck in your quest for running the Disney Half!

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  13. go Amy...live strong & healthy!

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  14. Just saw the BWC post on facebook. If you are interested there is a whole group of Disney runners at runningoftheears.com. Don't know if you have found us yet. Also, depending on where you are in MD you are always welcome to join us on weekend long runs!! Either way good luck!

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  15. Thanks everyone! The BWC was such a great experience!

    Plutogal--I joined your FB page! See you in DW!

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  16. Congratulations on completing your first race! Last year, the BWC was MY first race. I soon found out that BWC will spoil a runner. I have yet to run another race as well-organized and smoothly executed as the BWC! Those ladies have thought of everything. Just don't get too disappointed with other races (not being a well-oiled machine like BWC) - although the cups on the ground are commonplace! (that's what some of the volunteers are there for)

    Keep up the training and best of luck to you in the Princess Half.

    -Amy, Southern Maryland

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  17. Great job! It was my first 5k as well.

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  18. Thanks Amy--

    Are there any other local races you recommend? I am looking for a nice 10k to enter a qualifing time for the princess half.

    See you in WDW in February!

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  19. Congratulations on your first race! Best of luck training for the half!

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