Race Recap: Fish Stock 5K 9/24/17

Race Goals
Sunday 9/24/17 was the Fish Stock 5K race in New Smyrna Beach, FL.  I felt good going into this 5K. I put in a lot of mileage last week along with some intense speed-work sessions and some endurance runs. I believed that if I kept my final mile steady, I could PR and achieve my short-term goal of running a 5k in under 21 minutes. 

Race Morning
Last year this race had over 500 entries making it one of the biggest in the area. This year it got pushed back two weeks due to the hurricane, so it was much smaller than expected with 173 finishers. There were some other local races scheduled for that day, so a lot of people went elsewhere and/or took advantage of their virtual race option. I also heard that the race location changed from last year which also made it smaller. Hopefully next year the race can grow again because it's  super fun and well-organized. Check in was a breeze, and they let us use the marine discovery center for restrooms and to see some of the exhibits at the same time. 

Mile 1 6:31
Some races everyone lines up at the front; not this time. No one seemed to want to be in the front, so I was able to get right up there. It was great not having to slow down trying to make my way for the first couple hundred feet. I was in first place overall for about the first half a mile. That didn't last long as a guy soon passed me, but hey it was cool while it lasted. I was able to settle into a good, steady pace for the first mile and it felt good. 
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Mile 2  6:51
My watched beeped after mile 1 right after I passed the mile marker (good sign) and I felt surprisingly good. I thought to myself "wow I've already run a mile!" The course was so delightful and marked very well. I just tried to preserve my pace up and keep the guy in front of me and the bike in my sites. 

Mile 3  6:59
Mile 3 hello my nemesis we meet again. This time I knew I couldn't slow down too much because there was a woman right behind me which helped. I felt the usual fatigue but nothing I couldn't handle. I told myself just to maintain my speed, and I could do it. When I made that final turn on the sidewalk, I knew it was almost over, and I continued to give it everything I had. 

Mile .10  5:37
The last part was a slight hill but I knew I had to sprint something major to keep my lead and that's all I could do. I saw the clock still under 21 minutes, and I couldn't help but smile. I crossed the line and knew I did it! Official chip time was 20:53 making this my current PR. 

The swag/final thoughts
Wow, these awards are beautiful! First place overall winners and age group winners all got these amazing fish plaques. This award is by far the coolest I've gotten from any sport ever. The finisher fish medal is also very elegant and unique (you know I love when races give finisher medals). The shirt also gets an A+ I'm telling you a lot of work went into every detail of this event, and I can't wait to compete again next year. This 5k is a definite must do again next year! 

Overall I am so happy with my time and placement. Sure the race wasn't as competitive as in the past, but I still ran the best I could for that day. Now onto another week of high mileage, speedwork, and hopefully another PR next weekend! 

Results
Time: 20:53 *PR
Pace: 6:44
Overall: 2nd of 173
1st Place Overall Female
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