Fast is Relative: The 2013 Watermelon 5k RR

Just around mile 2.5 - realizing
I was about to PR

If you drink, don't drive - do the watermelon crawl . . .

-Tracy Byrd

This week's speed work was a local 5k called the Watermelon Run.  It is always on July 4th, is an untimed fun run where only the top 10 times are even posted, and is always sickeningly humid.  The race includes - of all things - a watermelon-eating contest.

I didn't sleep very well last night, it was almost 90% humidity, and I had only planned for a Fun Run to practice my speed and my new 5k strategy.  So imagine my surprise when 1)I ran into some of my favorite athletes, 2)the strategy worked - didn't blow up until about mile 2.5 when I usually blow up at mile 1.5 . . .and 3) I beat my best time by 10 seconds.

 . . . per mile. 

An unintentional 30-second PR at the 5k distance.


Afterwards, during breakfast with my friends, one of them said to me you are fast.  Of course, I don't think I'm fast, so I told her that.  Her response was
you're faster than me, so that makes you fast in my book.

It made me really think about how fast is relative. No matter how fast we get, there will always be someone faster.



Tired, hot and sweaty - but so happy

It also made me think of something I once said in this blog: no matter how fast I get, I never want to stop having fun.  I am certainly going to have my moment where a race didn't go as I would have liked and I didn't finish in the time I'd hoped, but I still think giggling is completely appropriate before, during, AND after any race.

The PR was a big confidence booster.  The past few weeks have been rough. Mom is midway through chemo and not feeling so hot. Arnie's tumor is coming back, so he is back on his second pill (2 pills a day, then 3 every other day).  I also have the other cat relocated to encourage her to eat (so far so good), so I am traipsing back and forth to see her too.  I also have follow-up doctor's appointments for all the tests of my own.  Just getting in 2/3 to 3/4 of my workouts has been hard.



Fast is relative

I may have mentioned that one of the frustrating things about being young and having health challenges is the lack of ability to feel young and free. I handle that pretty well most of the time, but with all the new stuff added in, I find myself feeling somewhat isolated. I can't see my friends as often as I want. Sometimes it's hard just to juggle school, work, and workouts.

Workouts - and races - are my escape.

Today's race was a much-needed break from the monotony of work, study, sleep, tend sickies.  I got to PR, I got out for breakfast, and I got to see some of my cycling/running friends.  I can't think of any better way to celebrate Independence Day than getting free of my own little world and out of my head.


All in all, it was a brilliant day.

Happy 4th of July!!