Beaufort Twilight Run 5k Recap

Last weekend, I decided to run the Beaufort Twilight Run 5k + 8k challenge.  Well, as I'm sure you guessed, the 8k portion just didn't happen.  My calves were tight and I just really wasn't feeling running at all that night.  But hey, I got the 5k done at least!

It started in a really cute little part of Beaufort called Habersham Village that I'd never been to before, and it had lots of little shops and restaurants.  I didn't get to look around too much because it was absolutely packed and we had gotten there a lot later than expected.  One thing I will note though - all of the restaurants either had their bathrooms blocked off or they were for customers only.  This kind of ticked me off because they had about 3 portapotties there, I had about 5 minutes till start, and there were at least 20 people in like (not doing the 5k), so it would have taken too long to get to the front.  I guess this is partially my fault for getting there late, but I feel like the restaurants should just be nice for that one day.  Anyway, rant over.

I got to the start line having to pee like a racehorse, and stressed out (we didn't have the best ride up there...).  I didn't do any stretching, and was in a bad mood overall.  I just wanted to get this race done!  Well, the first two miles that paid off.  They clocked in at 12:03 and 12:56.  I think I pushed it too much the first mile though, because after mile 2 I really started to overheat and I could barely push my run periods.  Mile 3 came in at 13:37 (around my normal pace), and the last 0.18 at 2:13.  I do know I hit 3.1 at about 39:55, because I pushed for a sub-40.  My official time was 40:47.

Usually, I run at a comfortable pace and fast-walk.  Yesterday, I pushed my runs, and just walked normally and it seemed to work better.  I think I just pushed the first mile too much (I thought I could PR it, which I was off by about 10 seconds), because the last mile I couldn't push the runs as much.  I was way too hot.  Granted, it was also hot out in general in the mid-70's and sunny the whole time, but I was starting to heat up in general anyway.

I ended up doing a lot of weaving in this race, for two reasons.  First, there were a ton of kids under 13-or-so and NONE of them knew race etiquette.  They were walking three across in the middle of the road, taking off running and zig zagging all over without looking around them, and other various things.  They actually had a big sign that said "5k Walkers Start Here" and walked them up after the runners started, yet there was a pair of 15ish year old girls casually strolling in the middle of the road in the first tenth of a mile.  Things like that kept happening, and maybe I only noticed it because I was in a bad mood already, but no one knew any etiquette.  Second, the roads seemed to be very narrow, maybe one and a half lanes at most.  It was a complete neighborhood run, and a gorgeous neighborhood, but you could tell it was a small one that didn't have a lot of traffic, and there just wasn't enough room with all the weaving I had to do.

So while my time was good (for me), my experience overall was not.  Like I said, maybe it was just because I was in a horrible mood already, but I probably won't do this race again.

Did you race this weekend?
Lauren