Care To Wear Pink 5k- Reflections From My First Race

The Care To Wear Pink 5k…thanks to Run Pretty Far for the gorgeous gear!

I’m not dumb enough to believe I can go from never running a race- EVER to doing 13.1 miles at the Tinker Bell Half Marathon at Disneyland in January… luckily for me, there are a ton of races within driving distance of me which support great causes and help me learn what it’s like to not just run, but race.

This was my first race, ever, none the less, my first 5k.  I’ve walked 5ks, but never actually ran one, so this was a day of firsts for sure!  I got up early before the sun rose, had my traditional pre-run cup of coffee with soymilk, toast with peanut butter, oh, and a few Aleve.  Why the Aleve? I’ve started Kaia F.I.T. and my legs were so sore, I wondered if I could lift them, much run with them.

It amazes me how much my life and body have changed. If you saw me on the street, it’s not like I’ve lost a dramatic amount of weight or have Michelle Obama arms yet, but my outlook on life and the way I view and pay attention to my body has totally transformed.  Running lead to a quest to be fit in general- not to be skinny, not super fast, but healthy.

Got my first race bib ever (nerded out) & won over $350 in raffle prizes -it was awesome!

My first 5k was awesome!  I really pushed myself and worked my core muscles through all those hills we had to scale- but it was worth the effort.  This was the inaugural Care To Wear Pink 5k and after the race, they sold raffle tickets to fundraise for next year’s event and help local women who are battling cancer.  I bought $10 in tickets, and came home with nearly half the prizes, it was my lucky day!   I scored over $350 in gifts-  I got a free fitness consult, facial and a few other goodies that I’m stoked about-  so kids, a takeaway, run races and buy raffle tickets!

 A Few Lessons Learned From My First 5k:

“Hills, Hills, Hills” are the “Bills, Bills, Bills” of Racing- You Gotta Pay Your Dues.

The course was hilly- so glad that I practiced on the hills by my house the last few weeks.  I’ve learned that if you’ve been training inside on equipment or on flat roads, running hills can be incredibly hard.  With a hilly course, you should be aware ahead of time that your race will not be a personal record, just pat yourself on the back for accomplishing a new challenge of running- STEEP INCLINES!

Many of us avoid hills because it just feels so darn good to get your mile times down and feel like a champion when you beat records.  Truly though, hills are a reality check- you run slow, breathe heavy and just have to get through them no matter how well you’ve prepared.  Truly for me, I wasn’t a real runner until I had a few tough runs on hills…you just gotta pay your dues!

You Never Truly Run Alone, We’re All Apart Of Someone’s Journey.

Most of the races I’ll do in SoCal will be attended and run solo, and that’s totally fine. If you don’t run in a running club or have buddies that can go with you, that’s alright- but know that the next best thing you can do is find someone to be with mentally and help set your pace.

During my run, I saw a lady in pigtails I was determined to keep up with, then she totally blew past me and I couldn’t keep up.  Then, I transfixed on a gal who was wearing black capris who I kept up with most of the race, but eventually pulled ahead in the end (maybe she paid her Hill-Dues in full before the race?) but it was good to keep pace.

At first, I was totally disappointed that I could beat or keep up with the two ladies I was running with at the beginning, but after the race, a lady came up to me to say “thank you.” Yes, someone seriously thanked me.  Turns out, while I was obsessing over keeping pace with someone else to push myself, someone was trying to keep up with me and appreciated that I was her personal challenge for the day.  

It doesn’t matter what level you’re at physically, you’ll make friends just by being there and doing the best you can.  Don’t beat yourself up for not keeping up- someone else is trying to keep up with you!  You could be setting a pace goal for someone else, so smile and give it your all.

I’ll Never Be A First Class Runner, But Damnit, I’ll Be A Classy One!

People are astonished I wear makeup (albeit light makeup) for my races- but I take my beauty routine just as seriously as I would for a non-race event.  Not only am I vain, but it’s part of my mental prep when I get ready to get out there and run.

I made it a point to wear tinted moisturizer with sunscreen, some mineral powder to absorb oil, and of course, waterproof mascara and sparkly pink lipgloss!  Oh yes, I was also wearing pearl earrings and the running gear that I feel so absolutely-gorgeous in from Run Pretty Far… my makeup and my outfits are always planned for races.  Putting something together that makes me feel confident not only for the race itself but the photos is important to me.

You need gear that fits well and looks good- I lucked out this time with my gorgeous “You Gotta Burn If You Want To Shine” pink tank (Which you can enter to win the Run Pretty Far Burn To Shine Tank over at  beautifulgiveaways.com!)  Just because I’m sweating (not glowing, I proudly sweat when I race!) doesn’t mean I can’t be feminine and look my best even with red cheeks & a damp shirt, ha!

For my first 5k, I’m pretty proud and humbled.  I know I’ll never be an elite runner, but I found that the more I run, the more I run with my entire heart and soul, not just my body.   The day after the race, I’d say I’ve full-on caught the “running bug” and signed up for a 10k in October and a 5k in December, it’s addicting!

So, do you have any race day rituals?  

Am I weird because I run with (some) makeup on?