USI: Hearts on Fire 5K

On Saturday, February 12, 2011, I officially started my trek towards the SIC Half Marathon by running the USI: Hearts on Fire 5K. I guess you could say that I started a couple of weeks ago since I have been training for about a month prepping for this run. This is only the second organized run I have ever done. I did a 7K run last year, but I'm doing a series of runs leading up to the half-marathon.

Being a cyclists, I have to adapt my clothing for running. My insulated leggings and cycling gloves did the trick. After that, a long sleeved t-short with a short sleeved over that, a bandana and sunglasses. Good to go. One a side note, I wanted to wear a Packer's t-shirt, but they were all XL from my "Fat Dan" days. When I found the Milwaukee Brewers; Racing Sausages shirt...at a large...it was a no-brainer.

I'm not really sure how many people did this run, but it is considered the first run in the SIC series. Knowing that I wasn't going to be taking any awards, I tried to find a spot where I would not be in the way of the real runnners, but not getting held up by the walkers. A little after 9:00 am, with the sound of the gun, we were off.

The route runs pretty much through the University of Southern Indiana campus. It's not a huge campus so you get to see all of it. As a matter of fact, there were areas that I had never seen before so I could at least see something new.

I felt pretty good at the start of the run. My pace felt pretty decent and faster than what I would take onthe treadmill at the gym. There is a bit of an andrenaline rush with everyone being on the road to give a bit of a giddyup.

For the few times that I have been on campus, I didn't really consider the area to be hilly. Generally, it's not. Trying to maintain a pace while running up a hill...even if it is gradual incline... is much different when running.

At the 3K point, I started to get a little tight in the shins and the burn began to set in the legs. My pace dropped off a little bit, but I was still moving.

The best part of the run was the end...DOWNHILL. Not being an experienced runner, my first inclination was to keep my pace and hold up as I descended. I was a little worried to let loose and get my legs tangled and take a digger. Once the downhill set in, my shins were taking a harder pounding than running on the flats as I tried to hold back my pace through the descent.

I thought to myself, "This is dumb. I just gotta go."

I opened it up, extended my stride, and basically sprinted down the hill. It was nice to maintain that final pace as the finish line was at the bottom of the hill.

The official times haven't been posted and I didn't stick around long enough to see a print out. I think I came in at around 27:30 which I am pretty pleased with. I was just happy to be back within 30 minutes. I usuually pace myself on the treadmill at the gym at 5.2 mph. My pace on the course was around 6.5 mph.

That's it for the run. Very pleased with the results. I need to get in more outside running and with the weather slowly getting warmer, that should be happening soon.

My next run is in March for a 7K (4+ mile) run called the Run of Luck.