42:01

I did it!!! I ran my first race today!! I participated in the Surf City 5K in Huntington Beach. It was really great!!

Here are the lessons that I learned:
1. Bring a sweatshirt for after the race. Once you stop running, and the sweat dries, you get really cold and the sweatshirt, and probably race pants too, will help with that.

2. Stretch!!! I didn't really do a good stretch after and boy, did I pay for that later!

3. VaporRub/Ben Gay -- should have used that immediately after the race to help my sore muscles. I smelled it on other racers so I have to imagine that they know something that I don't!

4. That being said, don't use VaporRub on recently shaved legs!!!

5. When thirsty after a race, you're going to drink whatever they give you. In this race, they handed out my all-time least favourite water in the ENTIRE world. But I drank it. Only because my Gatorade was in the car. It was really nasty water!!

6. Make certain you have a friend or family member there at the beginning to hold your stuff. I had to put all of my stuff in the car b/c PC & the kids didn't make it (too early for the little ones!) and ActBro didn't get there until after I had started. So the aforementioned sweatshirt was in the car.


I ran a good race! I averaged 13:31 per mile and was 80th in my age group. Even though there were 9 year olds who beat the pants off me, I just keep reminding myself that I only started running on May 21st.

Hope you have a great 4th!!