
It’s official: I’m hooked on 5k races!
My second 5k race is under my belt…err…bib, after yesterday’s Frosty 5k race in Burlington. I had such a blast. There was also a half marathon going down…kudos to the brave souls who ran it yesterday!

Unlike my last 5k race a few weeks ago, the skies were blue and the roads were clear. The temperature seemed innocent enough (-4C), but the wind was bone chilling being so close to the lake. Although, once I started running it wasn’t so bad. The cold isn’t as noticeable when you are breathless and busting some booty on the race course!
One thing I love about winter races? The later start time. The race didn’t start until 10:05am, so that meant that I could sleep in until almost 8am feeling nice and rested when I got up.

For some yummy pre-race fuel, I enjoyed a wrap with a banana and a couple spoonfuls of sunflower seed butter.

and a juicy grapefruit for extra hydration.

We got to the race about 45 minutes early, so I took advantage of the free time to empty my bladder. However, the porta potty line ups were huge and not moving very quickly. I waited in line for 20 minutes, before bailing at the last minute so I’d make it to the start line on time. What a tease! Needless to say, holding my bladder throughout the 5k was not fun. That grapefruit clearly put me over the edge…darn you, grapefruit!
There is something to be said about running a race with hundreds of other people (well, thousands if you count the half marathoners); it’s instant motivation and the excitement is contagious, even in the winter.

After a cold wait, it was finally time to begin!

I got off to a slower than normal start, but it ended up being a blessing because I think I would have gone out too hard. I just wanted to sprint to get warm!

The course itself was a simple “out and back” route on a linear, mostly flat course (along Lakeshore) which is perfect for setting a new PR. I love out and back courses because I get to see the faster people coming back (while I’m still going out) and it’s quite motivating to see them zoom by. The first place finisher had a time of 15:29! Crazy.
I felt so happy during the entire race and I think it was probably one of the strongest races that I’ve run, mentally and physically.
Soon enough I was rounding the last bend to the finish line.
See that YELLOW Powerbar “finish line”? When I rounded the last corner, I thought that was the finish line, so I gunned it as hard as I could only to discover that the finish line was actually a couple hundred metres further!
#epicfail

I was now out of breath and really struggling not to stop and walk to the actual finish line. The spectators really gave me my last bit of motivation to keep running.

There wasn’t any smiling for cameras or even looking for Eric. Just me and the finish line, baby!

The real finish line:
…and then I bolted to the nearest bathroom. :)
My official stats:
Chip time: 22:37
Ranking: 4th in my division (25-29 yr old women), 13th out of 390 women, and 52nd out of 577 runners
Avg pace per km: 4:32 min/km
Avg pace per mile: 7:16 min/mile
I beat my previous 5k race time by just over 30 seconds, so that was a nice bonus. I think the speed work has been helping!

I came home and made a recovery smoothie and then had a hot shower. Hot shower = Best feeling ever after a winter race.

I used this Vega Performance protein powder and added in a big frozen banana and lots of almond milk. Yum.

The nutritional info (click to enlarge)

Sketchie was overjoyed to hear about my race. Not.
So as you can tell, I’m loving the 5k distance. I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised because I used to run short distances in track and field and always loved them.
Here are some things that I love about 5k races…
- Shorter recovery time: I’m not too sore after my 5k races (just stiff muscles). After my last 5k race I took a couple days off exercise and then I felt fine to get back into my normal routine. After my half marathons however, I had to take 2 weeks off exercise to recover and occasionally sustained mild injuries. The reduced down time with the 5k is a major plus in my books! Of course, that’s not to say that you can’t get injured running a 5k because you obviously can with any distance.
- Less training time: My 5k training runs are between 3-5 miles, about 4 times per week. I don’t have to spend more than about 25-45 minutes out of my day to train. This is a huge plus when busy.
- Less Prep: I don’t need to bring water, energy gels, or anything else like I do with longer distances. It’s quite effortless to prepare for.
Have you ever run a 5k race or are you thinking about running one some day? For all of you runners: what is your favourite race distance?
If you are looking to start running, I’ve heard great things about the Couch to 5k 9-week running program. If you start now, you can run your first 5k race at the beginning of May! Maybe if some of you have done the C25k before, leave a comment below telling us about your experience. It may help others who are thinking about starting.
Congratulations on a new RP!!! Very impressive!
I have run a few 5K’s, but my favorite race distance is an 8-10K, although half marathons are super fun too. I love races…they always keep me motivated throughout the year!
It’s so funny to see my city in your pictures – you probably ran right by my house! :D
Congrats on your PR!
Congratulations!!!! I think it’s great that you’re out doing what you love. Loved the pics of Sketchie today – how cute!
What a great time Angela! Congrats!
Wow! Great job! I’m doing my first ever 5 mile race on Sunday. I usually go for longer races (10k and half marathon). A half in my favorite so far! I also just signed up for my first full marathon. I’ll let you know how I feel about long distances after that!
Congrats! I just have to say, Sketchie is one of the prettiest cats I’ve seen. What beautiful markings and eyes! :)
Congratz to you! I really like your choices for both breakfast and after the run. Healthy choices provide needed nutrients and electrolyts for the longevity that is so desperatly needed in lengthy workouts.
I’d like to try a 5K or maybe even a 10K as I think it’s totally doable. Given that I live in SK however, there’s not too much going on at this time of year. I used to think that I wanted to run a marathon or even a half marathon, but now I’m thinking that’s too much time to dedicate to training and thus 5 or 10K is more in line with my time committment. I’ll have to look around and find a race to sign up for. Thanks for the inspiration!
Congrats, on another race!! I love your pink jacket. Question, is that a brown rice tortilla? If so, how do you make it soft? I find that they are so dry that I cannot roll them up?!?!
I love Vega and could not train without it. Congrats again :)
Hi Angela! You always look so cute on race days, how on earth do you do it?? Would you mind sharing some tips/favorites for cold weather running? I think maybe you’ve done it in the past, I’ll keep looking! Thanks!
I love your blog…you are inspirational! Do you still not use a scale? (You look so tiny!) I am addicted to my scale but want to stop. Please tell me!
Go Speed Racer go!! Congrats:) Such a good feeling!!
That’s really funny, because my PR right now is 23:08 and I’m 29. I haven’t been able to break 23 min… I’d better start doing some of your speed workouts! Maybe I can drop 30 seconds off my PR too :) Congrats on a great race! Also, I ate my last grapefruit yesterday and just seeing that picture made me so jealous of you… must.go.get.more.grapefruit.
Angela!!!! 4th place?! That’s insane! You’re sooo fast, seriously. I don’t think I could ever be that fast. I ran my first 5k in 28:47 and I almost cried crossing the finish line I was so exhausted. You go girl!!!
Good job on the race! That protein powder is my current favourite – so yummy!
My normal runs are 6 miles, which I consider pretty easy. Right now I am loving half marathon runs. My current training is for two marathons, one in June (Ann Arbor) and then in October (Detroit). Yesterday I completely my longest distance so far – 18 miles!! I have a set training plan where I run 3 days a week and cross train the other 4 days. Congrats to you on such a great run!
Great post, Angela! Running a 5k sounds like so much fun, but I’ve never done one myself. I enjoy running (especially shorter distances… don’t think I’d be up for a half marathon) but just recently I went out for a 3.5 mi. run and came back limping. My right knee was just a little sore, so I figured I’d torqued it slightly on the terrain, but even now it aches a little when I try to jog. Afraid I might be out of commission longer than I thought to let this recover… such a bummer when I feel so good being active!
So impressed with your race time! The first race I ever ran was a 5K and sprinting to finish at a 10:00 minute mile average was intense. I haven’t tried a 5K since I was 15 so I would be curious to see how differently I would perfom now that I have several years of running under my belt and a completely renewed perspective on training.
Great job! Congrats!!!