Run Jen Run

great island 5K

Another 5K race is under my belt! I finished the Great Island 5K in New Castle, NH (an island between Portsmouth, NH, and Kittery, ME) this morning on a lovely fall day. I definitely had fun with this one and rocked out my “Barbie’s Fashion’s Night Out” pink T-shirt that I got from one of my roommate’s friends in New York:

Results
Chip Time: 36:52
Average Pace: 11:53 / mile
Overall Place: 992 of 1,094
Division Place: 94 of 98 in females 20-29

I managed to shave 1 minute and 4 seconds off my first 5K time back in May, and I increased my per-mile pace by 20 seconds to 11:53. My goal going into this race was first to finish, then to beat my previous time by any amount possible. I’d say I accomplished both!

I used the Podrunner 5K to 8K Week One podcast to give myself walking breaks (seven minutes running, one walking), then finished off the race fast with some Blink-182 and Lit:


Even though there were a lot of people in shorts and T-shirts out there, the weather was a crisp 49 degrees — perfect for me, but a little cold for some other people. I managed not to take my usual water bottle safety blanket with me (a good thing), since I wouldn’t be sweating that much. There was a water station at mile two and that was fine for me.

The race winds through the neighborhoods of New Castle, a gorgeous seaside location that was full of fall foliage as well. At one point, the runners go through a narrow, wooded gravel path that’s next to a mini cemetery that must be from the 1600s or 1700s. Here’s the pack at the start going around the New Castle Common by the water. You can see Whaleback Lighthouse at the right of the picture, in the distance:


And here’s some nice fall color with the serious runners lined up at the starting line:


I walked only at regular intervals this time, as the Runner Plus graph reflects — I like how it goes up at the end when I really picked up the pace near the finish line:


Nike+ fastest pace per mile: 10:07 at the finish line

Next up: The Portsmouth 5K Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day! I don’t think I’ll be able to wear short sleeves for that one …