In my last race recap, I mentioned my struggle with training. I came to the conclusion that I wasn't training enough. I know my body, and I know that I have to listen to it if I want to get faster. I decided to go back to running seven days a week with easy, longer runs on the weekends and running twice a day Monday-Thursday.  I also changed my speed work day to Monday because I should have more energy at the beginning of the week. I believe that this has worked for me, and overall I feel much more positive about where I am with running. 

Monday
AM easy 3 mile run
PM Speed work 6 half mile runs with cool down in between each

1 X 6:35
1 X 6:31

1 X  6:27
1 X 6:22

1 X 6:18
1 X 6:11

Tuesday
AM easy 3 mile
PM 3 mile at 6:53 pace

Wednesday 
AM 2 miles rolling hills with 1 mile cool down
PM easy 4 mile 

Thursday 
AM easy 3 mile
PM 3.5 mile at 6:53 pace

Friday
Easy 6 Mile 

Saturday 
3.5 Mile at 6:53 pace

Sunday 
Easy 6 mile

Total Miles for Week:  41

I really tried to increase my distance for the faster runs and will continue that trend next week. Overall, I feel pretty confident about my upcoming races.  

Saturday 10/14/17 was the 2nd event of the Daytona Running Series called the Great Candy Race Quarter Marathon and 5k Run. I, of course, chose the 5k.

Pre-Race
To be honest, I felt less than on top of my game. At the beginning of the month, I posted about struggling with over-training. Well, this week the struggle was the opposite. I think I cut my mileage too much and struggled with even my basic workouts. My endurance felt entirely out of whack. I had no specific time goal going into this 5k.

Mile 1 6:34
The starting line was a little on the narrow side, and everyone seemed to get boxed in for the first hundred feet. After that, everyone seemed to settle into their place. I like to run a fast first mile. As much as I tried to be a negative split runner, it's just not how I run my best. I feel like I ran this mile to the best of my ability for the day.

Mile 2 7:13
I ran with my phone/Runkeeper app instead of my watch. It told me my first mile was in the 6:30's, which is decent but not a PR time for sure. The course was open, but traffic was never an issue, and the volunteers made sure we knew where to turn. I started to feel it here, and this mile seemed to last forever.

Mile 3 7:03
Usually, my last mile is by far the worst. This time I knew I couldn't let that happen. After the app told me how bad my second mile was (pretty sure I said oh no out loud), I knew I had to speed up or lose my lead. The fact that I was able to do this proved to me that my "final mile struggle" is more mental than physical which makes me feel positive about the future.
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Mile .10 7:27
I had nothing left for my usual sprint at the end. I struggled even to make it to the finish line haha. I know how important the final sprint is and next time I certainly need to give everything I have.

Post-Race
A local restaurant sponsored the post-race party. They provided breakfast burritos (very yummy), draft beer, and plenty of candy. This post-race party was one of the nicest I've seen in a while.

Final Thoughts
I had such a fun time at this 5k, even though I was unhappy with my pace. I now know that I need to put on more mileage even if the majority is just easy runs. We all know our bodies better than anyone else, and no article/training book can say otherwise. At least now I'm pretty sure I know what to do and will get a couple of weeks of solid training in before the next race.

The Swag
 I loved how both races received finisher medals; sometimes the 5k participants don't get these. The tech shirts were perfect, and I can't wait to wear mine to a night race. Our awards were lovely tiles, and a giant lollipop and candy necklace to go with it! Once again, I loved the candy theme. The city of New Smyrna Beach put on a great event once again.

Results
Time: 21:48
Pace: 7:01
Overall: 5th out of 106
1st Place Overall Female

We all know how expensive signing up for races can be. The average cost of a 5k is around $30 while a marathon is over $100. That adds up! I was going through my race schedule and noticed that I used coupons for most of my races. Here are some tips that I use to make racing more affordable. Remember every little bit helps. 

Register Early
Most events offer an early registration discount which could save you a lot of money versus registering on race day.  If you know you're going to attend, sign up early. The catch is to read the fine print-most are non-refundable due to the charity aspect, and most smaller events don't offer bib transfer. 

Get on The List
Most racing companies have newsletters that keep contestants up to date on upcoming events. Make sure to get on these lists as many of them send coupon codes. This is how I get most of my coupon codes. Be sure to check out the race websites for the same reason too. If you can't find any of these, google the race and see if any coupon codes come up. 

Get Social
Do you have a massive social media following? If that's the case, some races offer ambassador programs which pay for your entry fee in exchange for you to spread the word on your social media posts. 

Volunteer
A lot of race directors offer complimentary race entries into future events for volunteers. By volunteering, you will also gain satisfaction by helping out your running community. 

Talk to Your Boss
Some corporations provide race sponsorship for their employees. This not only gets their name out there, but it helps their employees stay healthy and happy. Does your company offer this perk? It sure won't hurt to ask. 

Saturday 9/30/17 was Run For Success 5K at LPGA. I didn't have the best training week. I've been struggling with over-training and not knowing how hard to train and when to take a break, but that's another post. Even though my training wasn't 100%, I still wanted to try for another 5k under 21 minutes. 

Pre-Race
Initially, I hadn't even planned on participating in this event since my September schedule was busy, but the racing company sent coupon codes for half off. Yes, please sign me up! September ended up being a slower month than I thought because of the hurricane; everything worked out for the best. 

Morning packet pickup was in front of the LPGA clubhouse. They had separate lines for shirt pickup, bibs, and goody bags which kept it moving. The goody bag included some sunscreen, pens, and a notepad which is always a bonus. 

Mile 1  6:23
One of the beneficiaries of the run was the Boys & Girls Club, and there was an option to sponsor a child so that they could run. There were probably over 100 kids running. They told the adults to line up in the front, keeping the kids in the back to make sure they didn't get in our way at all. I got up near the front and was off. This mile was one of the first fastest miles I've had in awhile, but it felt right so I just kind of went with it. 

Mile 2 6:52
This course was out and back through the LPGA neighborhood and very pretty. I decided to use my phone/armband for the time instead of my watch for accuracy purposes, but the volume was down too low (fail), so I had no idea how fast I was going. Thankfully the mile markers were obvious. 

Mile 3  6:59
Woo-hoo every mile under a 7-minute pace that was one of my goals 🗸. My 3rd mile is usually the worst, but this time it didn't feel too much worse than my 2nd mile. I wonder what would have happened if I knew my paces during the race. Would I have had a better 2nd or 3rd mile? I'll never know. 

Mile .1 8:01
This was not my usual sprint at the end...oops haha. I don't know what happened there. Seriously I have no words. 

Final Thoughts/Swag
Overall it wasn't a bad race. It wasn't a PR either, but I can't complain too much about my time. You can't PR each time now, can you?  Hopefully, I can improve a bit for my race in two weeks. They gave us breakfast sandwiches and plenty of water after the run plus these sweet finisher medals (you know I love finisher medals). I would give the awards and the black tech shirts an A+ as well. It was a very well organized event; the volunteers and directors did a fantastic job. This is a "will do again" race for sure.