Race #1 - Race for the Cure 5k - Winston Salem, NC

Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5k

5/1/10

8:00 AM

Winston Salem, NC

Time: 24:39

Place: 139/12,000+ (runners & walkers)

A great day for my first race. Not only is it now May, the month of my birthday, but it's a nice spring morning and there is a record crowd of around 12,000 out to support the fight against breast cancer.

Summer and I met up with my sister and her "team" from work and were given shirts and posed for a picture. We then moved toward the start line to try and get in front of the thousands of people who were there, most walking but some running.

As the gun didn't sound (they just yelled Go instead), the amoeba of people took off. I remember AC/DC's Thunderstruck jamming loudly in my ears as I ran with my iPod. The first .8 mile was uphill and as a beginner runner, I didn't know how to pace myself but I just went for it. Summer quickly decided she couldn't hang with my pace so she stayed back and ran her race while I trucked on.

Once up that first hill, it was flat for the next mile or so and folks were out downtown cheering everyone on. After the next turn, it was time for some downhill. You could tell at this point people were slowing down but I was keeping up my pace (even though I don't know what that pace was). A guy I work with, whom I passed around the 1.5 mile mark, caught back up with me and passed me. I didn't try to compete.

Let me just say that when you've never run 3.1 miles in a race before, you don't know when to ease up and when to press hard. I remember feeling a little dizzy, so I slowed down slightly. The unusual feeling subsided and I trekked on. The last half mile was great. Seeing a long line of people cheering you on is a great feeling. I didn't have the energy to sprint like I should have so I just kept my pace as I ran through the finish line.

Overall, a success in my first race. I was quite content with my time and place.