Race Recap: Sharkbite Half Marthon & 5k 1/14/18

Sunday 1/14/18 was the 3rd annual Sharkbite Half Marathon & 5k in New Smyrna, Beach FL (shark-bite capital of the world-fun fact). I love how big this race has gotten (over 2,000 participants) and it's always super competitive.There's a lot of community support and it's just a fun time. Last year I ran the 5k at 22:50 (decent time for me back in the day). I was determined to run much faster this year. I still have a nasty cold and haven't trained hard in a while but I still wanted to prove that I could run faster. 

Race Morning
The only issue with this race is the parking. Parking in New Smyrna is tough anyway because there's not much of it. Now imagine adding 2,000 more people into the mix and as you can tell it can get pretty congested and understandably so. If you run this race, my advice is to get there earlier than you think you need to and expect to park a few blocks away. Also, take advantage of early packet pickup if you can because it will save you the stress of having to walk back to your car or finding a bag drop. 

This was one cold morning! I heard someone on the starting line say it was 39 degrees which would not surprise me one bit. They lined up the 5k runners right after the half marathon went off at 7:30. It was so cool to see the mass wave of half marathoners start their race. There were so many of them! I was unable to get a spot close and had to dodge people for a few hundred feet or so. 

Mile 1  6:22
After making my way past some people, I was able to settle into a pace of not too fast but not comfortable either. It was more of a feeling. I knew I had to push myself mentally for this race because if I didn't I would let myself slow down. I wanted to prove to myself that I could run faster even with feeling sick and my lack of training. I looked down at my watch after the mile 1 beep and was pleased with the pace. 

Mile 2  6:47
I didn't really feel tired or anything here just kept coughing a bit. They added mile markers to the course this year which helped a bunch. Mile 2 was pretty uneventful, and I was pleasantly surprised at how I kept my pace.

Mile 3  6:52
I really worked hard to not fall behind here. The last mile is always my worst. I was familiar enough with the course to know about how much longer I had left. When I could feel myself holding back, I made sure to speed up and it really wasn't too hard to do. 

Mile .10   6:08
I made the final turn and saw the finish line (which looked so far away). I tried to sprint at the end as much as I could. I need to work on going faster at the end. I love the finish line at the race it feels like you're finishing a huge marathon or something. 

Swag
We were greeted at the finish line with these huge finisher medals and a pint glass to fill up with beer from a local brewery at the after party. Shout-out to them for having a root beer option because it was awesome! The shirts are super soft and a favorite of mine to wear to the gym. The awards were these awesome, specific wooden plaques. This race always has some of the best swag ever. 

​Final Thoughts
Sure, my time wasn't a PR or even close to one but considering all the factors (feeling sick and not training enough blah blah blah) I was satisfied with my results. I feel like I pushed through mental barriers and look forward to bringing this to  races where I am at my best physically. 

Results
Time 20:54
Pace: 6:44
Overall 16th out of 770
Female 6th of 501
Female 30-34 1st out of 45