28:47

Today I ran in a 5k in Jefferson City. My goal was to beat my previous time of 29:07, and I did, by 20 seconds. I was happy with that! I was pretty nervous because Jeff City is VERY hilly, but I was assured by a co-worker the course wasn't too bad. Started out in front of this pretty building.

Ran across the Missouri River bridge. The 5k was for the Jeff City Police Officer's Association, and I'm loving my new t-shirt.

And here are a few of my thoughts during this 5k.

1. Nervous because I had a week of bad running last week but the fast few days have been much better. Just want to beat my previous time.

2. Not too many people at this one compared to the Jay Dix run.

3. Weather is perfect! A little chilly.

4. See a few people dressed up like convicts.

5. Ready, set, go. Click start on my watch timer and take off downhill.

6. I started fairly close to the front so took off pretty fast. It is nice that it is a downhill start.

7. Not so nice that there is a what I would call a significant hill that comes pretty quick. It was significant for me because I took off so fast, trying to run up the hill at the same speed about killed me.

8. Thought to myself "Seriously you are 2 minutes into it and breathing ridiculously hard and legs are on fire." Start to pysch myself out and my shoulders tense up.

9. Whew, that hill is done and I made it. And now time to run down an on-ramp. Sweet!

10. Run across the Missouri River bridge. Wish I could enjoy the scenery a bit more but don't want to break my concentration now that I have my breathing under control.

11. Come up on the 1st mile marker thinking "geez surely I haven't gone a mile already. Yippee, I have!" And with that my shoulders relax again thankfully.

12. As I come up to the person at the mile marker think I hear him tell a few people in front of me "10:36" and I think to myself "are you freaking kidding me, I know my typical pace is a little less than 10 mins I can't believe I'm going slower."

13. Pass the person who tells me "8:51" and then I think "well hell that can't be right." Look at my watch which says "8:54" and totally get a new energy knowing I just ran my 1st mile in under 9 mins. Fist pump #1 and a "yes" said completely to myself.

14. Continue running along the bridge glad that cones are up and the cop cars are spread out here and there since the highway traffic is whipping by me.

15. Time to run up an on-ramp. Lucky for me this is Jeff City and the on ramps are pretty short ones. And then it's downhill for a bit, rock on.

16. Run around the Jeff City airport, see a cop car slowly driving by some of the runners and the cop on his loud speaker says "Hey Megan this isn't an all day event. Pick up the speed on the pavement." He speeds up and drives on just smiling and cracking himself up. I had to laugh.

17. Time to run back uphill, see the guy in front of me stop and walk and think to myself "don't you dare stop and walk Shyla" and then, yay, it's down the on ramp. The downhills SO make up for the uphills.

18. Pass the 2 mile marker and the person tells me "18:00" I can't believe I just ran two nine minute miles. Fist pump #2.

19. At this point I am tailgating a lady, I just can't pick up the speed to pass her and can't slow down enough to get off her tail. I wonder if I am annoying the hell out of her with my loud breathing.

20. Back up the on ramp and the end is in site. Run down that killer hill I started on. You know, the one that made me curse my decision to try another 5k. In my head I am blessing the people who created this route that we get to run down this nasty hill at the end and don't have to run uphill to finish on the incline where we started.

21. Finally pass the lady I've been tailgating.

22. Cross the finish line at 28:47. Beat my prior time by 20 seconds. Fist pump #3. I didn't maintain the 9 min mile pace and slowed down that last mile but I was ok with that, my goal was to beat 29:07 and be somewhere in the 28 minute range. Thought to myself "that wasn't so bad." Makes me want to sign up for another one.