Recap of Taco the Town Run 5K

I am back with another race recap! After my half marathon in April, I took a week off and then I went into some peppy 5K training with my coach for 4 weeks. Now, to be honest… I really hate 5K’s. I would run a half marathon any day over a 5K. Fast and short is not what I call fun. My usual May 5K is the St. Louis Zoo 5K, but last year it was canceled because a tornado hit the zoo AND this year they decided not to have it. I’m so sad, because they’ve had this 5K for years and years… I really hope they bring it back. So, I found a 5K in Cottleville, MO, where my husband and I spent a weekend away last summer. I love the area and it is about 40 minutes from our house. The only caveat was the race start time was at 9:00 a.m., which is REALLY late for a May race. I just figured the weather would work out for me, but OH was I wrong. I will never do a May 5K that starts late ever again. Ha, ha! The name of the 5K was Taco the Town Run, so I’m guessing maybe they had the later start time because they had tacos and beer afterwards???

Driving into Cottleville, I noticed the sky turning dark and I looked at my weather app and it was telling me the storms were coming in much later. I was not thrilled.

I had to pick up my race packet an hour before the race, because I didn’t want to drive out to Cottleville twice. Thankfully the line was short enough that I could get under the tent, because it was POURING and the lighting was intense. But, once I got back in the car I saw how cute the shirt was (and the cotton is JUST right, not too thick or thin!) and I was happy! The ‘Will Run for Tacos’ headband will be SO fun to wear once the weather cools down again.

So, this race just did not go well for me at all. It was pouring up to the start time, then still raining pretty steadily as we lined up. I heard that they were going to let the 10K people go first, so I started to run my warm up mile off to the side. However, then they decided to just let everyone go at once and after a .35 warm up mile, I decided to go straight into the race so I wouldn’t get behind a ton of walkers. It was just SO unorganized and I felt a little stressed that I hadn’t warmed up properly to get my heart rate spike and I wasn’t sure how backed up it’d be with so many people going ahead of me. I was already completely soaked at the start.

The first mile went pretty well, but unfortunately I did a lot of weaving in and out around people and there were these MASSIVE puddles we had to maneuver around or just run straight through… by mile 2 I was starting to feel a little weird, like just not right. So much that I felt I needed to stop and walk for a bit. I felt like the heat (it was 73 degrees at that point) and all the catching up/weaving in and out I was trying to do got the better of me.

I started to feel better and decided I would give it my best and if I started to feel bad again, I’d just walk the rest of it. I started running again and I felt completely fine, fairly strong actually and the last mile was actually my best mile of the race. Yet, I held back, because I was worried I’d start to feel bad again.

Somehow I recovered and finished the race with an 8:46 pace and time of 27:14. And I placed 1st in my age group (out of 68 people, it was a small race) of F40-49. I was surprised!! But, I was still very disappointed in myself, because my half marathon time and 5K training was showing I’d output a much better pace and time.

I think the storms, warmer weather, starting behind my pace group and just the later start time did me in. I ate breakfast at 6:00 a.m. and didn’t race till 9:00 a.m. so I was under fueled. So, I think all in all, it was a race I learned some things from. It’s just crazy, because I ran 8:30’s for some of the last miles of my half marathon, yet I totally choked up on this time for a 5K!

Official Time: 27:14
Official Pace: 8:46
Placed 1st out of 68 in F40-49 Age Group

Completely drenched, but I got my pineapple beer and beef taco!!

Not the best photo, but here is a closer look at my race medal and here is the 1st Place F40-49 age group medal. I didn’t realize I had placed in my age group till I got home, so they let us pick the medal up at their office. As bummed as I was about this race and how everything seemed to go wrong, I was so excited for the age group medal! I’ve only placed one other time in a race, so I was very thankful for it! It just goes to show, a race isn’t over till it’s over. Pick yourself up and keep going!!! I was proud of myself for not giving up!

Time Trials 5K
Time: 25:42
Pace: 8:16
Time Trials PR!!!

So what did I decide to do? I decided to run a time trials type of 5K on my own the next weekend. I had to prove to myself I could do better!! And I DID!!! I know I was able to control the conditions more… it was still hot, but 63 degrees and not 73 degrees. It was dry and I did a trail that was about as flat as the 5K was… and I was able to execute my splits exactly how I had wanted! My heart rate is also much more even and controlled. So this gave me a bit of a confidence boost. So, I will try again in the fall or next spring and hopefully it will go a little better! 

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