Race Report: Alive and Running 5K

Los Angeles, CA | 9.22.13

It's not every day that I get to combine work and hobbies -- I'd feel different if I were a personal trainer or something, but given that I work in higher education, it's not every day that I get to incorporate my running and racing habit with what I do for a living. And it's kind of awesome when I do. Upon learning that I'm a runner, a colleague asked if I'd be interested in coordinating a Marymount team to participate in the Didi Hirsch Alive and Running 5K, and use it as a event to kick of our Suicide Awareness Week on campus. Happily!

While about 30 people expressed interest (which is awesome), about 14 of us registered and about 9 of us actually showed up run and walk the event. I was pretty happy - it's not every day you can pull college students out of bed to go run 3 miles for fun on a Sunday morning.

Marymount Mariners representing!

I wasn't sure what I was doing at this race -- should I run with some of our students? Go hard and see what I'm made of lately (which hasn't felt like much)? I hadn't run since the Saturday prior, literally, so while I felt like I had fresh legs, I wasn't sure that that would work in my favor either.

I'm in the bright blue shorts, in the back.

I took off, spent the first few minutes weaving around all the walkers (dear walkers, start in back, please) and bolted out the first mile in 8:32. Um, whoops? I made it to the turn-around at 1.5 miles in just about 14 minutes, so I knew that I could do something, even if it wasn't a PR, this would be damn well close and I could call it a win. I found one of our students, Morgan, and learned that this was her first 5K ever, and that she used to play on our women's soccer team. She said she'd stick by me to see my 'miracle' happen (I noted that it'd be a miracle if I PRed and she goes, "Oh! Well I like seeing miracles happen so I'll stick with you!" Sweetheart). Mile 2 with just 10 minutes to go to make it a PR...

THAT, my friends, is a time that is 3 seconds slower than my PR, set in June. THAT is a time that I would not think I could pull off given my lackluster running pattern lately. THAT is a time and a race that I could safely use as a boost to get me through these next few weeks and RnR Las Vegas.

The course was almost completely flat, save for a slight grade coming back into the finish area. The road itself was boring, just a Los Angeles tree-lined street, out and back course -- with the only saving grace being that we were a) less than two blocks from the ocean, which provided even more gorgeous weather on the first day of autumn! And b) that we were parallel to the landing strip at LAX so if you wanted, you could just watch planes land the whole time. Kind of awesome. Kind of like Operation Jack.

 We also learned that Anna and Morgan (mind you, her first 5K!) finished first and third, respectively, in their age group! Excitement. All in all, of the 9 of us, 4 students completed their first 5K ever, whether by running or walking, and had a great time. What a boost!

So glad we got to do this and so glad it was the kicking off point for our awareness week on campus. What a great event! Thank you Didi Hirsch Foundation!

Did you race this weekend? How'd it go?