Cherry Creek Sneak

 

Jaime, Me, Megan, Ryan, and Brett

   On Sunday, I ran the Cherry Creek Sneak with four friends. It was a bit chilly outside but sunny when we arrived at 7am. It really was ideal running weather, as the temperature tends to feel about 20 degrees warmer while running.
    Jaime, Megan, Ryan, and I all ran the 5K (3.1mi). Brett, who runs marathons like it's his job, ran the 10mi race. Ryan ran separate from us ladies, as he is much faster. Megan is an experienced runner, but she stuck by me the whole time for moral support. For Jaime, this was her first race, and she did great also. Nick came too. He served as photographer and our very own cheering section.
   This was my second 5K, but I only walked during the first. This time I managed to run the entire race. My final time was 36:50, and I averaged 11:53/mi. I placed 1889 out of 3523 overall, 1020 out of 2163 for females, and 176 out of 267 for my age group. Overall, my goals were to run the entire time and finish under 40min. I definitely accomplished those. Afterwards, there was a block party where they offered free beer, food, and plenty of fun and games.
  Looking back on when I started running in January, I have come a long way. I could not even run a mile without having to stop. In my whole life, I never imagined I could run for 3 miles and more without stopping. I always hated running, but now, the more I do it the more I like it. I am tentatively planning my next race, and I hope to complete a 10K before 2012 is over.