I started my racing season this year with two 5K’s in May and June. I ran both 5K’s over 30 minutes (see my races page for all race times). I wanted to challenge myself with a 5K since August but I’ve been busy every Saturday, so I was ecstatic when I finally found a 5K that was offered on a Sunday! I entered the Atlanta Halloween Half and 5K with only a couple of weeks to “train” (I consistently run 3-4 times a week for 3-5 miles so I knew I’d be fine).
Or so I thought! The course was so hilly! It was a cloudy Sunday morning, with a low of 37 F degrees and WIND, so it wasn’t the most enjoyable weather but it could have been worse. I wore gloves, a thermal top, and fleece leggings under my costume but I was still freezing the entire race. I noticed a lot of people not in costume and I wonder if it was because of the cold, but this guy won best costume in my opinion.
I normally give myself a list of things I could have done to get a better time, however I didn’t do that after this 5K. It was COLD, I couldn’t feel my hands or feet, and I didn’t bother to look at my pace/time during the entire race after mile 1. I decided to settle into my “yoga” mindset, focused on breathing, and tried to enjoy myself and all the costumes. Sure, maybe I could have finished earlier (I run 3 miles a bit quicker during training runs) but I still have a time I can be proud of. I PR’d, after all!
RESULT: Gun time 29:52/Chip time: 28:28. I was 6th in my female age group (out of 59) and 63rd overall (out of 639) 5K participants.
Have you ever PR’d during cold weather races?
