Race #2 of the Season - Skirt Sports 5K

Last year, I didn't run this race even though I could have.  No real reason for it, just didn't do it.  This year, I had the opportunity to do so and was going to take advantage of it.

The day before, T and I rode in Boulder.  We were planning on doing 25-30 miles, but the day got cut short due to me suffering from heat exhaustion.  I was puking on the side of the road.  I wish I could say it was due to working really hard, but I think it was just due to the heat.  Regardless, I was worried about how I'd perform in the race.  Not that I cared all that much.

The morning of, we drove up and got there with plenty of time.  T said hello to some of her fellow Skirt ambassadors and I just stayed loose.  We talked with some guys from Skratch and tried the macha Skratch (it's pretty good, surprisingly).  Then we got in about a 1/2 mile warm-up around the Home Depot parking lot.  Then we lined up for the start of the 5K.

The Race
It was a simple out and back.  Normally, T and I talk about our race strategy beforehand, so we're on the same page.  In running races, we like to run together until late in the race.  In tris, if we get the chance to stay together on the run, we do.  Because we run slightly differently, it helps to have a strategy in place for this.  Usually, my strategy is to pace it easy early, then gradually pick it up until I'm balls out late.  Sometimes though, I'll just run as hard as I can and do a walk/run strategy.  This race though, we had no discussion.  

We bombed out at a really fast pace, clearly an unsustainable one.  We began walking quite early, which I didn't have a problem with.  By the hill of doom that this race has, we were struggling.  My lungs had nothing!  

On the way back in, I was hoping to do a bit more running, albeit at an easier pace, and forgo walking.  T didn't have as much strength in her lungs as I did (her legs are awesome though) and she was having a tough time.  I was determined to push her a bit though, which I know isn't the best thing to do sometimes.  Oops.

I began picking it up for the finish line a bit earlier than T wanted to, only because I had the strength in my legs to steadily increase.  She tried to hang on, but on that day, I was slightly faster.  I heard Nicole DeBoom call our names and mention whoever loses has to do the dishes for a week.  As I beat T by one second, I pointed back to her.  Nicole thought that was amusing.  

Post-Race
T and I hashed it out and determined our lack of communication was not good and we'd have to remember that in the future.  We hugged and made up and then I ate lots of cake.  We stuck around for a few minutes, waiting for the results to be posted.  Last year T got a podium spot, which was really cool to see, and we were hoping she'd get to repeat that.  I had no aspirations of such.  But lo and behold, I saw from the results I was 2nd in my age group.  I wasn't sure if the dudes that ran the race were going to be on the podium, but sure enough, I was on the podium!  T snapped a couple pictures with me wearing her TriSports shirt (mine was in the wash) and I smiled proud.  T snagged the 3rd place in her age group, so we got a couple shots of her as well.  Then we tagged Nicole's car with a car pen and headed home.  

Ultimately, although we both were on the podium, we still have a long way to go with running.