recap – French Fry Runner

This race was great! And considering I didn’t want to actually run that morning, it was especially great to get an official PR!

The race started at 9:15 a.m., which was awesome. Gotta love that fact that it’s still cold enough in Utah to start the race later in the morning. The race was around one of our local universities and really familiar since I went to that school and ran at least part of that same course almost every day–not to mention that a lot of local races are run on the course . . . Anyway . . . It was still really chilly when I got to the race, so I debated a long time whether to wear a jacket. I ended up deciding to, and that was a good choice. I got a little warm, but not bad.

The race started promptly (love that), and we were off! I’d decided to run a solid effort of 30-32 minutes, depending on how I felt. Well, I felt great the entire time! The first half mile was uphill, so I trudged on up at a good clip, going by effort. Then the rest of the race was downhill and flat. I tried to keep a sub-10:00 pace, and when I glanced at my watch, I was actually running 9:38s. Crazy!

My final time was 29:58 (9:40/mi), which I was definitely pleased with. And it’s a PR! I guess I’m a faster runner than I thought! It’s awesome to see improvement, and I owe it to all the strength training I’ve been doing. I love having strong legs and a strong core. That will help my half marathon and marathon efforts this year for sure.

Back to the race, they gave us awesome food at the end and held a magic show for the kids and a raffle too. The raffle was kind of lame, but hey. Oh, and we got gender-specific tech shirts this year, which is an improvement over the normal unisex T-shirts. Overall, a solid race!

#RexLee Run 5K Recap via @FrenchFryRunner #fitnessfriday #fitfam Share on X

I’m linking up with Jill for Fitness Friday and with the DC Trifecta for the Friday Five (Mar, Courtney, and Cynthia).

How’s your training going?

Are you racing this weekend?

“Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?” I’ve always loved this quote by Anne Shirley in L. M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables–which, incidentally, is my favorite book. New Year’s is always a great time to sit back and evaluate the year and set goals for the new year, a year “with no mistakes in it.”

My 2015 goals post will be online on Friday, so for now here are five lessons I learned or relearned in 2014:

Sometimes jobs just aren’t worth it. In June I left a job that made me unnecessarily stressed out and just plain unhappy. I learned that if you’re in a job or situation that brings you down and is something that you constantly dread, just get out of it. Find something that truly makes you happy.
Traveling is worth the expense. I traveled a lot this year, including my first trip to Europe. The experiences I had will stay with me forever, and that’s priceless.
Always try new things. From running my first trail race to bodyboarding in North Carolina to eating Turkish food in Germany, I’ve tried a lot of new things this year, which has certainly kept the year exciting. Embrace the new, and perhaps you’ll find a new favorite (döner kebabs, I’m looking at you).
Sometimes fitness goals just don’t work out–and that’s okay! I wanted to run a marathon this year, and that didn’t happen due to injury. I know that if I would’ve tried to train and run one, it would’ve ended badly. I need to be smarter in 2015, build a better base, etc. I was able to run some great races, though, and that’s fine with me.
Family and friends are more important than anything. This is a no-brainer. Once again I learned how awesome my friends and family are. They are always there for me and love me for my quirks–and I have a lot. I’m really blessed in this department.

So, there you have it. Five lessons from 2014. I hope this next year is even better for you and me both!

Be awesome in 2015!

French Fry Runner

Tag: recap

Rex Lee Run 5K Recap

Happy New Year and a Recap