Panicking Poultry

Ha, that name cracks me up. Gobble, gobble. This morning I participated in the 7th annual Panicking Poultry 5k at the Boulder Res. Conditions were near perfect with mild temps and NO winds! I jogged a nice 30min warm-up accompanied by all sorts of weird aches and pains that I'll attribute to me wearing lightweight trainers for the first time since summer (and boy did it feel weird) and laughed at the absurdity of running a 5k as a first race back after an IM, and how the start of this race (9.30 AM) seemed so late to all other events at the Res, and how I wouldn't have to crawl into a wetsuit for once before race start! But once I toed the line I knew I would just try to run the best race I could, as several huge talents (runners) were lined up next to me.

My first mile was crowded, people everywhere. It almost felt like a swim start! Once we passed the 1-mile marker (in under 5:40- whoops) things stringed out a bit and pain settled in. Mostly into my lungs. I think the last time I ran this hard was at last year's CU Turkey Trot. After the turnaround, I saw a few girls behind me, with the first place girl way up ahead. Since she was the 5th finisher at the Olympic Trials marathon last April, I realized it would be impossible to catch her unless I rode a bike. I tried to keep my form fluid as best as I could, although the lactic acid wanted me to seize up. With half a mile to go I heard people telling me that I had second place but the girl behind me was gaining... Well, I couldn't let myself get beat right before the finish so I gave it all I had, and nearly ( as I usually do after a 5k- it's embarrassing really) collapsed. It hurt sooo bad, but so good! I ended up second place, over 80 secs back of first, but with a new altitude 5k PR, and all that after a race that took me over 11 hours to finish just 5 weeks ago! This was such a nice change, can't wait to do it again! Congrats to everyone else who raced today, over 900 people total!