Race: Run for the Berries 5K
Place: Starlight, Indiana
Date: May 26, 2018
Time: 22:45
One of my favorite baseline 5Ks to run in this area is the Run For The Berries 5K, which is part of the Starlight Strawberry Festival in Starlight, Indiana. And, while I had wanted to be running a half marathon with friends up in Medina, Ohio…I was still in the area and using the 5K as my speed work for the week.
As I say every year I actually am able to run in this race…there are a lot of things I love to run for, but strawberries…that has to be one of my favorite things ever. If only they were free…but after a (usually) sweltering race, the strawberry treats are worth shelling out some cash for. Trust me. My go-to is a big bowl of strawberries from the Strawberry Shortcake booth and a frozen strawberry drink. YUMMY!
Once again, I wasn’t actually registered to run the Run for the Berries 5K this year. I waited too long to do the mail-in form…and it doesn’t look like there is online registration yet. Which is weird. I know. But, that being said, this just meant we needed to head up to Starlight a little earlier so I could get registered, get pinned, get stretched, and get ready to run. So…that morning, Cathy woke up early and, after I did all my PT stretches, decided on what I was going to wear (hello Wonder Woman sports bra!), and ate something, slathered on some sunscreen, and we loaded into the car (and yeah…the sign was able to come too since the weather was humid and hot…but not wet and rainy!). The race was $25, which isn’t bad. I paid in cash after filling out the registration form. The shirts this year were a light sky blue. Not tech. I miss the tech shirts from this race.
We had to pin my bib onto my shorts because my sports bra didn’t have enough space for it (and I was now kinda nervous my girls were going to pop out of the cute little ziggy zaggy straps at the front). But it would have to do. I’m so not used to pinning things to my shorts at all. Luckily they were long enough and not ones that would ride up over my, now very muscular, thighs like most of my usual running shorts do. All this strength training and 3 days a week of spin have added some bulk to my thighs for sure! We had a bit of time, so we went to stand around outside near the festival entrance to people watch and just get ready.
About 5 minutes before the start of the race, runners began to make the walk down to the cone that marked the start of the actual race. As I was wandering that way, my friend Renee asked me if I was actually running this one fast. I told her that my training plan said to try to keep my pace below an 8 minute mile depending on humidity and heat. I have been struggling a lot this year with keeping my speed and endurance up in the heat…something I’ve never had an issue with in the past. UGH! Best I could do was hope for the best.
I was lined up in the second row at the start of the race. As with Fast Freddie…it’s off gun time, so the closer you are to the race start, the more accurate your time is. The race organizer got on the bullhorn and started to give some information about the race. Like male runners at the finish will have white cards to fill out; female runners will have pink; walkers will have yellow. OH…and if you are registered as a walker…and you run down a hill…you are now a runner. This gets said every year, and it still makes me laugh. He gave the words…On your marks…get set…and he fired a gun, then dropped it and got into the pack to run the race itself. Or so I was told. Me…I was too busy taking off as fast as I dared.
The past couple of years I’ve managed to hit something in the high 6 minute paces. In 2013, I managed a 6:54 and in 2016, I hit a 6:48. I was sort of hoping for the same thing to happen this year. Especially since, while there are slight rollers in this first mile…it is the flattest portion of the race. I just pressed as much as I dared or could make my legs go…and decided my job today would be to push the pace and then try to hang on.
The turn onto Engle Road brought the second mile to a start. I knew my legs were starting to fatigue, but it was way too early for that. Humidity does seem to sap my energy a lot more than it used to these days. So, I decided to focus in on form and turnover. And, I did see a girl struggling, so I gave her some words of encouragement as I ran. The humid air dampened my pigtails and I could feel sweat beading on my stomach…but onward. I just kept going. This mile also brings in more rolling hills, but a few more downhills than uphills. We ran past Hubers Family Farm and continued down Engle Road. And then I hit Mile 2, ignored the water stop, and just I just kept on running. After the hill, it’s just a few rollers and a couple of smaller climbs to the finish. You actually finish this race going uphill.
I could hear Cathy yelling at me to run faster, which usually means another female runner isn’t too far behind me. According to official results, this was a mere 4 second gap between me and the lady behind me, who was also in my age division. As I crossed the finish line, a volunteer shouted out my time to me and I was handed a pink card. I also got a lot of compliments on my compression socks. I love being a fastinista.
Cathy sent me to get water and cool down by walking while she filled out the card and dropped it into the age group container for me. Then she went to grab our frozen strawberry drinks. Upon her return, of course I went to hit up the strawberries for my big bowl as a reward. It’s the best part, as I previously mentioned. While I was eating my berries and Cathy was enjoying a strawberry shortcake, a girl behind me said, “Excuse me miss…are those hair extensions in your hair.” I told her they were. She asked how I put them in so I tried to show her. Then she said the best thing, that, honestly, made my day. She said, “You encouraged me out there. Thank you.” She was the girl I saw struggling. That was the best reward ever was hearing that. That’s what running is all about, honestly. I asked her how she did. She said she was 12th overall female. So she wasn’t far behind me either. YAY!
After we devoured our treats, we went to check out the festival booths, where I ended up purchasing hair bows and a gift for my friend Melissa. Then, we headed back up to listen to the award ceremony and get our cheering on.
While the men were being announced, I went ahead and checked my watch to actually look at my splits: M1: 7:01; M2: 7:25; M3: 7:33. Yep. Very positive splits. My age group came around and I ended up as 2nd this year in my age division. WOOHOO!! I never expect to win…because there was one year where I was 6th overall and didn’t win my Age Group. So…you never just expect it. I went up to get my pint glass and then, Cathy and I decided it was time to make our pilgrimage to Hubers for some strawberries before heading home. We bought 2 gallons because…I make kickass strawberry jam, friends.
As it stands, the official results of the Run For The Berries 5K are that I finished in 22:45. Not a PR…and none of my splits were over a 7 minute pace. In the past few years I have run this, my first mile has registered in the 6’s. Not this time. I’m kind of bummed. I just want a PR at some point…and none of my old records are falling. Not. Even. Close. I was 28/133 runners overall. I was the 8/69 females to cross the line. And I ended up as 2/5 in my age division.
I want to come back stronger and faster next year. Goals.
The Celiathlete 