Fresh 15K Race-Cation

My longest run since my half-marathon-done! And a visit with family/vacation to boot. This was such a great experience overall.

Background

I ran the Fresh 15 5K with my brother and sister-in-law five years ago. The race, put on by the grocery chain Brookshire's, benefitted local charities. My brother had run it before, and they invited me to come run it, so I did. Some friends of my brothers ran the 15K that year, and at the time, the 15K distance seemed outrageous. Several 10Ks later, it didn't seem quite so daunting. I actually registered for the race a full year in advance, having gotten the e-mail about the tenth running of the event and finding that the date worked well for our 2023 schedule. Plus, with only a $45 race fee and all proceeds going to worthwhile causes, it seemed like a good donation if I could not run.

I trained for the race using Hal Higdon's Novice 15K plan. I did some longer runs earlier on, as well as speed workouts as I prepared for my 10K the month prior. Into the actual plan, I hardly ever did the strength training on the two mile day, though. I also tried to keep up with my mile a day run streak. Overall, it worked. I definitely had some niggles (plantar fasciitis and knee pain), but those mostly went away. There was a lot of illness around me, however, from stomach flu that my husband got a few weeks prior to the race, to tons of respiratory bugs. I really feared getting sick. Thankfully, the Lord kept me healthy!

Race Weekend

We flew into Dallas, Texas the Friday before the race, and went straight to pack-up pickup in Tyler. Talk about swag! This was the tenth anniversary race, but I got a blender/water bottle, a lightweight windbreaker, a t-shirt, a running belt/fanny pack, and a blanket. Can't complain there! We spent the afternoon with family, and I tried to get to bed early. I intended to try to do more of a carb load, but in the end due to travel and personal comfort, I ate mostly like normal, with a few extra carbs here and there. My brother and sister-in-law kindly put us up in a hotel, which probably helped me sleep well. It was quiet, clean, and comfortable, all of which helped!

Before the Race

I got up at 4:30 am, just so I would have time to ease into the day. We left at 5:30 am, and my husband dropped me off around 6 am. We did encounter a few road closures along the way, so I am glad we got there. About an hour before start time, I ate my banana and drank 8 oz of water. It was COLD, so I stood inside the grocery store to stay warm. That's not what I was probably supposed to do, but no one kicked me, or the other runners with me out, so it worked.

I ran a five minute warm-up around 6:30 am and got in my corral around 6:45 am. This is a well-organized race, with corral line-ups by pace. I got in the 9:00 minute per mile corral. No way was I going out with the elites who made course records in the 42 minute range last year.

Race Plan

My plan was to go out evenly paced, keeping before the 1:25 pacer, if I could. I have read from other bloggers that the pace groups get crowded, so I wanted to stay ahead of them. My A goal was to finish the race healthy (which meant I have to pre-hydrate and pre-fuel, as well as take fuel on the run, things I don't love doing). My B goal was to finish under 1:30 (possible if I stayed ahead of that 1:25 pacer), and C (my stretch goal), finish with a 8:30-9:29/ mile pace (faster than my half-marathon). The calculators said I could get in the 1:18 range if I tried, but that seemed a stretch.

The Actual Race

The weather was gorgeous, in the mid forties to start, warming up as the sun rose. I wore a t-shirt, arm sleeves, and gloves, taking off the gloves for the last few miles. I seriously could not ask for better weather.

The race started with prayer, something I really appreciated. Then they let wave one go. That was a little weird, as we all started running, and then they stopped us for wave two. No big deal. We got going a minute or so later.

The first few miles felt easy. There were drum lines along the first part of the route, and just random people out to give high fives-so fun (though I did see one runner trip and fall on the edge of the road as the runner was getting high fives)! I heard the 1:25 pacer talk about rolling hills, so I tried to hold back a little. I also knew I had a long way to go, longer than I had ever run in training.

I felt so good around mile four that I considered not taking my fuel. (I tried using Plum Organics peach, banana, and apricot baby food for long runs this time, and it seemed to work.) I knew I would eventually bonk, though, so I took it. I also got about half of a 8 oz water bottle from aid stations at two various points.

My legs did burn a little on a few of the hills, but overall, they did okay. At some point, between miles 4 and 6, I think. I realized I was close to the 1:20 group and tried to pass them. I eventually did! That felt good. From there, I just tried to stay ahead of them. I did not push myself, but I tried to keep going.

Did I say that the crowds were great? There were people with signs and cheers all along the route. And more live music. And some families put out tables of their own and gave out water in their neighborhoods. So sweet!

The last part of the race is uphill. It's not great. I tried to power up, but just did what I could. I thought I might have a steeper hill, but was still holding back. As I rounded the curve, I saw my family. I had been thinking about their signs (shown to be the night before) and smiled when I saw them. Then the final push. I didn't have much left, so I just finished. I did not feel nauseous or anything, though. In fact, I felt good! I had knee pain for the last 5K or so of my half-marathon, but not much this time (though some the day after). Yeah!

The Finish

I finished in 1:19:08, only a little bit off the 1:18:17 Run Hive race predictor. I was stoked! I had family and friend activities afterward, so feeling great was an added bonus. I did walk around the post-run expo a little bit, but it was packed, so I got lip balm (which I needed) and left. Watching the Lil' Freshie 1K was fun, as was the park I went to with my loved ones. We went out for lunch, and then I crashed for a nap. A great day!

I ran my mile a day Sunday. My knee hurt a little, so I took it easy. Hopefully all will be well. I do know now that I am well of soul and so, so satisfied to have this done. Really, this race was a yeah, God weekend, as it has been so long in coming. So thank you, God, for this weekend!