35.05 For 5K

I had been shopping for a good base layer to wick away moisture but the stores near me were either closed or going out of business so pickings were slim/non-existent. After class I headed up to a different store on the opposite side of town that would have a good selection. It's in a new strip mall so I was shocked that the light I chose to turn in with, didn't actually turn into the mall. Two U-turns later solved the problem, but geez.

Here are things you need to know. You shouldn't really dress in cotton, as in t-shirt, as the layer closest to your skin when you know you'll be working out. Cotton is a horrible insulator when wet and just absorbs your sweat. You want excess heat to leave your body, but a wet t-shirt sucks too much heat away from you on a cold day. Say it with me, hypothermia is bad. Since I would be running in close to freezing weather you now know why I really wanted a good base layer of clothing. When looking for a good base layer you want something that hugs your skin so it wicks away your sweat. A roomy t-shirt leaves air gaps between your skin and the material. It won't wick away the moisture.

The running pants were no problem. They even have zippers by the ankles to make a good seal on your leg. They were roomy and would keep heat. Wicking away sweat isn't very important on legs. The long sleeve upper was the interesting part. I choose white for visibility reasons. It had a nice turtleneck feature which I found a good idea. Trying it on in the dressing room was great. This thing hugs every curve you have. The only thing worse would have been if John Candy were wearing it. Luckily a t-shirt covers the base layer just fine for the sake of appearances. If the t-shirt as the outer layer gets sweaty on the cold day that isn't as important or dangerous. One credit card swipe later I had the important parts of my running outfit.

One stretchy base-layer of spandex, one t-shirt, and one zipped jacket later I got out of my truck and damn near fell on the pavement. The morning frost was quite slippery and not melted yet. 3.1 miles of this would be fun. I walked to the museum that was the start/finish line. I've never been in any kind of organized run before so I had no idea what to expect. I got the thing with my race number on it, two diaper pins to clip the number to my shirt, a free ticket to the museum that day, and the "chip" that kept track of my time. I looked at the chip and the little plastic thingie and had no idea what to do with them. A nice guy told me to use the plastic thingie to tie the chip to my shoes. Excellent. I am learning something!

I had done no running at all since last Saturday. Since I have some 'free' time this semester instead of being diligent and working, I've been lazy and goofing off. Not a good idea if I want to train for a 13.1 mile monster in a few months! The siren went off around 8:30 and the mass of humanity ran off. It took me around 90 seconds to even get to the start/finish line due to the multitude of people in front. Some beeper sounded off as our timing chips went over the padding at the start line.

The first half mile was great as I kept my pace, but was passing so many people. I found gaps between people and zipped through. We went past the zoo and this small hill. Oh that hill hurt. The race had a way station at 1 mile and I picked up a cup of water. I could only take in a gulp at a time and almost didn't have this small cup empty by the time the row of trash cans ran out. The race timer said 11 minutes 30 seconds, but I figured I was on a 10 minute mile so far due to the 'late' start.

We headed north up a incline. I didn't see any critters in the zoo. We hung a right back towards campus and The Black Hole. The river had an interesting odor this morning. I felt myself slow. People had been passing me for awhile. The Gatorade at the Mile 2 station was sweet. I didn't want to go to a walking pace. I wasn't feeling pain, but I felt tired. Even with the jacket completely unzipped I was very warm in the sub-40 weather. I didn't see anyone in our reading room as I swung right at The Black Hole. At the canal I gave one last burst of energy. I didn't want to be passed by this one woman. I had nothing against her, but I selected her as a landmark. We jogged for a block and this guy who was walking suddenly started jogging again. We ate his dust. Right before the corner was the Mile 3 marker. I didn't care what times the lady there was shouting at us. The museum driveway was in sight. Some lady made a sprint for it. I thought about running the last 20 yards, but decided to just keep jogging along. My feet and knees were tense, but not in pain. Maybe I stretched out really well for a change? I heard the timer beep as I crossed the finish line.

Food Row game me some water, a banana, and a cookie. They had people with knives and boxes to collect the timing chips back. One woman who had worn shorts for the run took off her shoes so she could put pants on. Steam rolled off her socks. I definitely was not cold at all. I didn't set any speed records. I only wanted to jog the entire way and finish the 5k. My time was 35 minutes 5 seconds for the 3.1 miles. I was the 579th finisher out of 812 participants.

I didn't set the world on fire, but I accomplished what I wanted to do. That counts for something. Oh yeah, I got a bought an appropriate shirt after the race. NEON YELLOW and this training shirt can be seen from 30,000 feet! I might wear it in class to see how many retinas I can burn out.