TurkeyDay 5K Race Report: Not bad for my first run after a half-marathon

I ran a half-marathon 12 days ago. After a tough recovery,  I went out once last week - and got lost, turning my 3 mile walk into a 5 mile walk.  I then spent the next 3 days standing on a pool deck as a swimming official.  Where I caught a cold.  So I haven't run since my half-marathon. But I signed up for the TurkeyDay 5K - in Reston, at my kids' (former) high school. I couldn't pass it up.

It snowed yesterday.  We all wondered if the race through the woods would happen.  I was really worried about the big hill at the beginning and end of the course.  But the snow had been cleared.  It was about 37 degrees at the start, well above freezing.

I arrived about 10 minutes before the start, stretched, found my friend Lisa and got ready for the start.  Hubby went to park the car and then came back in time to take pictures.  So thanks, hubby for these pix!

Then the start went off.  We never heard a gun or an announcement,  we just started running.

 Once we left the stadium, the path got really crowded.  I had to keep pace with those around me, or I would be run over by those behind me.  So I went fast down the hill and through the tunnel.  Then I was finally able to settle into my pace.  But the first mile came in really fast.  We went through the second tunnel, followed the course marshalls, and realized that this course was hillier than I remembered. (Every. Single. Time.)  I looked down at my heart rate and it was really high.  I tried to walk more to get my heartrate under control, but it didn't work so well.  I ran/walked the rest of the race, wondering if I could get a time under 40:00.  (spoiler: I didn't.)  The course was a "lollipop" route - out, around a loop and back the way we came.  By the time I was headed through the second tunnel, the race leader (and eventual winner) was coming back.  I walked most of the big hill behind the school, but then decided to just run the rest of the way so I did.

While Hubby was waiting for me, he took some pictures for "best costume":

And this toddler gets an "A" for Adorable!

Finally, I came around the hill back into the stadium:

And crossed the finish line

My official time was 42:24, a 13:41 pace. (Although my Nike watch showed a 13:11 pace).  I am pretty pleased with that, since I've spent a few years struggling to get under 15 minutes.  Hopefully then new fitness level will continue to help me drop time in these races.  AND I came in 387/472 among the women ... many times I remember being last or close to it.  So not last today!  Although I look a little tired, hanging on the fence and talking to Lisa and her family afterwards. 

A Big Thank You to PRRaces for getting a Thanksgiving Day race in Reston.  I've been going to the Life with Cancer race down in Centreville the last few years, and I love running close to home. 

How was your turkey trot?