Running for Pi....and pie!

Happy Pi Day everyone!! Today was my 4th virtual race of the year, the Pi Day 5k! I had signed up for this particular event back in late January and I'm so glad I did because it ended up selling out...and now I have no doubts as to why!

This was an amazingly well run event from registration through Pi Day weekend. I found it through Gametiime (this is the same group that does the Moustache Dache, which I TOTALLY a plan on running if there's a virtual option) and helped raise funds for IGNITE, Inspiring Girls Now in Technology Evoloution. First off the swag bag was the best I've received so far from a virtual race. Bib, medal, Luna bar, Pi sticker and t-shirt were all included in the entry. Very cool!

My original goal was to get out and run at 9:26, but the weather was not-so-nice so I took full advantage of one of the benefits of virtual racing and waited for the weather to clear up a bit. I decided to run my favorite neighborhood 5k course. I set my Nike app for 5k, warmed up a little, then began my race. 

My feet felt surprisingly light and I almost felt like I was flying for the first mile. "You know this course," I told myself "you've totally got this!" That familiar voice came on and told me my first mile split...9:08. I told myself that was a great pace. Now all I had to do is hold it! The start of the second mile was downhill, so I coasted to catch my breath a little bit before making the turn to tackle the next hill. At the half-way point, my app told me I was at a sub-9 minute pace! Now I knew I had to push myself! My legs and lungs were feeling the effort, but I could picture the rest of the course. No stopping now! Mile 2 came up before I knew it. My thoughts then became "keep pushing, there's just one more big hill left, If I hold my pace I'll be done in less than 10 minutes!" That last hill wasn't easy, but knowing that after I crested it the rest of the course was easy, kept my legs moving. With the last hill behind me, I hit my favorite power song and flew to the finish. Finish time for this 5k 27:13!! A new PR!! I enjoyed the cool down walk home then it was picture time ;)

One of the things I took away from my race today is how important it is to be able to dig deep and push yourself. To be your own cheering squad. Don't get me wrong, having a network of supportive friends and family is so important. I'm blessed to have that too, but there is something empowering (for me at least) in knowing that I can push myself to better and better times. Runs like this help me to know I am strong and able to reach any goal I set for myself. Even if I don't quite reach a goal, I know I have it in me to push past my comfort zone, to put every ounce of myself into something, and reach places further than I had thought possible! For me that's very important as an athlete.

Well, it's time for me to celebrate, relax and enjoy my evening. I was lucky enough to have the whole day off from work, so I'm going to take advantage of it! Time for some coffee and pie! 

Hope you all have an amazing evening! Until next time, run lots and be happy my friends!!