Frosty Footrace 5K 2016 Race Report
Yay, Frosty Footrace 5K! My first race of the year, and my eighth consecutive year running this race!
I met my goal of a course personal record (PR)! I needed to beat 22:58 and I ran 21:45!
Which, surprisingly, ended up being a overall 5K PR by three seconds!
I wasn’t trying to sell myself short in only aiming for a course PR. This course is not easy – it has inclines in the first and last miles, and they really get you in the end. I was excited to attempt to beat my course PR from last year. I thought that would be a good challenge.
And yesterday? Not so frosty! A little warm – it was 59°F when the race ended! Oh, accompanied by 26 mph winds with 38 mph gusts, of course.
Sigh.
Effin’ wind.
When Rachel and I did our warm up mile (YAY! Rachel did the race! And came over and saw our new house, too!) we could really tell running in to the south and west winds was going to suuuuuuuck (the course is kind of a loop). And it did.
Fake smiles as we run in to the wind
But I didn’t adjust my race strategy too much. It stays the same for this race each year – go out like nuts in the first mile and push it up the inclines. Fly on the downhill in the neighborhood in the first mile. Hang on for the flat part by the lake in the second mile. Try not to lose it in the third mile. RUN TANGENTS. Ha.
It mostly worked.
I started near the front, since the race isn’t chip timed. I was surprised to keep Ricky, a really fast guy from Efit, in my sights! (Ha, I only could because he went out for birthday drinks the night before – not to mention a lot of cycling and burpees on Saturday and he cycled to the race!). I decided to try to “follow” him for as long as I could!
I did well on the hills in the first mile (yay, hill training!) despite the wind pushing me back, and picked up my pace on the downhill (first mile 6:32). I was next to another lady for quite a bit, then she took off ahead on the straightaway, which was straight in to the wind, yay! Ha ha.
I started feeling like death of course, but kept asking myself “how bad do you want it?!” (reading that book helped, ha!) and kept pushing. Second mile was 6:54. Slowing down! But I could still see Ricky!
I saw Steven right after mile 2, before we headed back uphill.
I actually passed that lady who I’d run with in the first mile, on the uphill (yay, uphill training!). I encouraged her to run with me – I knew she could keep pace with me, and it would keep me going!
And then in mile 3 I slowed way the hell down. 7:26!!! Ha! Everyone I talked to after the race said they slowed way down for the third mile. The first half of mile 3 was in to the wind, and everyone was struggling! I will NEVER run negative splits on this course. I just don’t have that control in me!
That lady passed me toward the end of the last mile and I thought “Good for her!” and “I hope she’s not in my age group!” Ha!
When I got near the finish I was surprised to see I could maybe get a 5K overall PR. So I gunned it! Last .14 (oops) 6:22 pace.
Schweet! 21:45 – a course PR and a new 5K PR! And good enough for first in my age group (I think I was fourth woman overall, and maybe twelfth overall?). The lady who I had run with a bit gave me a hug when I finished! I told her I needed her to run fast in front of me to give me someone to chase!
I was happy to see some friends from Efit came to cheer us on!
Efit peeps – spectators and runners!
I watched for Rachel to come in (the third mile got her too), then we went to run Anne in (who also thought the third mile sucked, ha!), who both did well!
Me, Anne and Rachel
It’s funny that during the race I was thinking how horrible 5Ks make me feel and that I am NEVER running one again. Then I finished with an overall PR and immediately thought, “Hmm, I could definitely run a faster 5K on a flat, not so windy course!” Oh, typical silly runner brain!
But seriously, I am anxious for this year’s Zee Bee Run Squad’s 5K series dates to be announced. My last two 5K PRs have been on their flat courses! And, now I live in the town they are held in (kinda)! (And lived in the town where the Frosty Footrace is held for nine years!)
We hung around for awards after the race. Rachel was third in our age group (woot woot!), and Ricky was first in his!!!
Then we went to El Famous, because NOMMMMMM.
What a fun morning! It was great to see friends running fast and kicking arse, and to cheer them on! And so nice to have my favorite photographer there!
For the past few years instead of a shirt they’ve given participants a hat at this race. This year, we got a buff. Schweet! I like! Wonder what we’ll get next year – I will definitely be there!
And… Frosty is the only race I was signed up for this year! Time to half marathon (window) shop! And recover – my legs are feeling it!
Themocracy
So happy for you!! And happy that you had lots of friends (and Steven!!) there 🙂
It’s funny, the first thing I said to myself when I was poking through the race results to see if you won your age group was, “holy CRAP – she was right behind Ricky!!”
Thanks!!! It was fun to see a lot of people – including some GRC peeps I hadn’t seen in awhile! Carolyn was there leading her runner, and Eric and Kristi. Garret ran too 🙂
Ha ha ha! Only because he was having a slower day, really! Steven said he was shocked to see me right behind him after the mile 2 mark 😉
HECK YES!!!! Congrats on CRUSHIN that race, Kim! Oh, I am so excited for you and your course PR. I know you’re going to nail that PR this spring. Woot!
Thanks!!! 🙂
Great job on that 5k PR! So impressive on a hilly course and windy day. I’m the same way, I would totally be thinking about what I could do next on a flat course 🙂
Thanks! I am excited to run a flat 5K at somepoint!!! At least give me flat! 🙂
Course PRs all around! 😉 Congrats again on your PR!!! And seriously, thank you so much for coming to run with me! I so needed the support to finish that last, painstaking mile.
I can’t wait to run some fast, flat 5ks in Zy-in (and I’ll try to wait until May when I’m out of your AG, ha ha).
Woot woot for course PRs!!! Thank you! 🙂 And you’re welcome! I am happy I could run in with you!
I was just thinking – you met your goal on this course… you could totally kill it on a flatter course!!! Yes, but please wait until May to run in Zy-in. I do hope one of their Saturday races works with my schedule. I will have to make sure I am not signed up to teach a class that morning, HA!
Wow, awesome!! PRing on that course is SO impressive, and I LOVE the surprise PR! My first thought reading this was also “Wow what could she do on a flat course without that wind!” Hahahaha. Runner brains are predictable!
Thank you!!! 🙂 I think the hill training paid off!
Runner brains are SO predictable! They have actually done studies to show how quickly runners forget the pain and sign up for more. HA!
Does anyone negative split that course???
Great job on your PR, both course and overall. And, yep, I totally get the whole “ooh, how could I do on a flat course” thing. I tried not to go into Gasparilla thinking I would PR but the course was way flatter than the half I ran in December so of course the thought was in the back of my mind 🙂
Some super runner MUST! 🙂
Thanks! Nice! And you had a an awesome PR! Can’t wait to hear more!!!! 🙂
WOW – way to set a goal and reach it! Sounds like your hill work and speed workouts paid off. I took a look at the book and just downloaded it. I always need to get out of my head . . . or more accurately . . . get my head into the game!
Thanks!
Let me know what you think of the book! I really liked it 🙂
Congratulations!! I wondered when I saw that crazy fast time on GC if that was your PR. I couldn’t remember last night. Well done!Even sweeter you did it hilly, true bad as$ 😉
I love your pic with Steve, it a great shot of ya’ll.
Yep, given a flatter course, you may bust this PR, time to race search right lol
Thanks!!!! 🙂
Yes! I need to figure out when that local flat 5K is!
Great job! I hate when it’s really windy when I’m running. I run out and back, or routes in both directions for my knees, and I’m always heading into the wind at some point.
Thanks!
Yep, wind sucks most of the time except when it’s hot in the summer. Ha!
Congrats on smashing your course PR and getting a new PR! You did an amazing job out there! I think the execution of your race was solid too- you banked some time for that heinous headwind in the 3rd mile 🙂 looked like a fun day for you being surrounded by good peeps. I can’t wait for you to race your next 5k!!!!
Thanks!!! That was my plan – just bank as much time as I could with the horrible wind! I wish I would have had more of it pushing me!!! 🙂
Congrats on PRing! Running into the wind sounds like no fun. I don’t run but I’ve biked into wind before and it sucks! And I know what you mean about being in the midst of doing something and swearing you’ll never do it again… and then doing it again anyway!
Thanks!
Oh gosh, it’s SO MUCH worse biking in to the wind than running, I think!
Nice job! You looked fast in those pictures – big congrats on your PR and AG award!!!
Thank you!!! 😀
Congrats on you PRs! Sounds like a tough race!
Thanks!
Congrats on the PRs and on your age group WIN! It must be so interesting to race the same course 8 years in a row – you can really see your progress over the years, which is pretty cool, taking into account certain factors (weather, overall health). Seems like a good indicator that you are at a great place fitness-wise right now. (I’m totally envious because I’m NOT! Ha ha!)
Love the photos of you racing – you look so strong and determined.
Thank you!!!!
I was looking at my paces over the years and am happy to see it’s generally gone down! Woo hoo!
Aww, thanks. 🙂 LOL! Are you working on base building or working toward a race? 🙂
WAY TO GO!! That is so awesome that you course PR’d and ran a new 5k PR! Well done girl! You look strong!
Thank you!!! 😀
Congrats on the two PRs!! Woo hoo! You could’ve dropped your 5k PR a lot more if you had been on a flatter, less windy course (obviously), but you broke it nonetheless with the conditions you were given which is pretty impressive. Interesting splits, but as you said, mile 3 was super windy so it makes sense. 5ks are allegedly the one distance where (slight) positive splits are okay. Never heard the word “buff” before! Is it a Kansas thing? 🙂 Congrats again.
Thanks! Hopefully when I do run a flatter 5K my splits aren’t as horrible!!!
I saw the called Buffs in a trail running magazine, I think!
Congrats on the PR!!! I can’t wait for the nice weather to come back.
Thanks!!! Soon!
Congrats KIm! You continue to amaze me with your PRs and races. I am so happy for you!!!
Aww, thanks! 🙂
Ahhh, El Famous!!!! That sounds so good right now.
Does the challenge of running a faster time sound more appealing than how awful you feel? Or do you just forget how bad it is to run all out and feel like death? You’ve really gotten racing down to a science now, so color me impressed!!
Ha, there have actually been studies that show that runners forget how awful racing fast feels very quickly which is why they sign up to do it again! I always remember 5Ks feel like death for me, and don’t really look forward to them! But, since it’s a short distance, I know I can push it and will only be in pain for so long, so I don’t mind going for it. Ha!