Decorative bib

Race #1 of the 13 in 2013

Race #3 Overall (since November 2012.  The first two runs I didn’t blog about because I hadn’t started the blog yet: The Turkey Trot and the Gingerbread Jog.  Of those two, the Turkey Trot is the largest race I’ve been in so far and the Gingerbread Jog was somewhat disorganized but a lot of fun.)

So I know it’s a week late, but I ran my first race of 2013 and my third running race overall last weekend.  The Advocate Cypress 5K.  It coincides with the Louisiana Marathon weekend also.  I had several friends run in that.  (Maybe next year.)  The weekend is loaded with activities, cheer zones, entertainment, expo, you name it.  It seems to be put together pretty well.

For now, I handled this fairly easy 5K with a raised bridge over a railroad in the middle of it.  I definitely ran for my longest this time, all the way to the top of the bridge before I finally had to walk a bit and then jog down.  It was an out and back so coming back across I just walked up and then ran down the other side.  After that, it was a slow jog to the finish.  I did see one friend at the finish line.  This was her first 5K race.  Not bad for a first race.  She finished about two minutes behind me.

I recorded another personal best, but it wasn’t easy.  This run came up quickly after about a month hiatus due to rain before Christmas, a Christmas trip to New York, and then more rain after Christmas until three days before race day.  I enjoyed the course though, right thru downtown on fourth street to North Blvd to 19th Street then back.

Finisher’s Medal

I believe there were a lot of first timers at this race.  I could hear some conversations while in the run.  Most were pairs where one seemed to be coaching a newbie.  Most tips sounded informative.  Other tips sounded crazy.  But it was fun to stick with a group for a bit until either they pulled away from me or fell behind.  I’m not sure what running etiquette there is yet.  I ended up next to two women in the last mile who were listening to some loud music, I forgot what it was playing but it sounded pretty cheesy.  Also, I’m not in the habit of passing people at the end.  I usually pace someone who’s running into the finish and I just follow them in, no thought of passing.  I mean, if I couldn’t pass you during the first 3 miles, what’s a last tenth of a mile going to accomplish.  But the guy and his son he was pushing in front of me jogged for a bit and then decided to take off sprinting to the finish.  Well, I felt obligated to follow along.  So I kept up with him all the way to the end.  I wasn’t sure if he was trying to get away from me or to just look good at the end.

This definitely was a fancier race.  It had photographers all over and they even handed out finisher medals which from reading other blog stories appear to usually be reserved for marathon and half marathoners and then other select races.  I guess this was one of those.  So I got my first finisher’s medal.  That was pretty awesome in itself.

And now I get set to run some 10K races.  The first comes in three weeks with a local favorite, the Mardi Gras Mambo.  I’m setting a goal for 90 minutes.  If I run my current 5K pace, I should make it in about 75, but I anticipate being slightly slower at times, to make it through the entire 6 mile distance.  My goal should simply be to making it to the end.

Race: Advocate Cypress 5K

Date: January 19, 2013, 8AM

Place: Downtown Baton Rouge

Time: 36:54