Didn't expect this!

Since my knee surgery and the subsequent healing process, I've only been able to walk/run maybe ten times since the doctor said I could start again.  I felt like I would never be able to attain any kind of pace since my current running pace was in the 13:00-16:00 per mile range.  The only time I was able to hold a faster pace was when I did the walk .3 and run .7 with Rob.  We would begin with a quick walking pace until we reached the  three tenths of a mile and then run the remainder seven tenths. 

I was pretty happy to see that I could get down into the 11:00 mile pace while running with Rob.  However, last week I decided to do a five mile round trip to the bank using the same .3 and .7.  When I reached the entrance to the bank I was shocked to see 3.92 miles on my Garmin.  Taking a different route back home, I reached my driveway with exactly 8 miles recorded.  Although I was utilizing the walk/run program I was still, non-the-less, crapped out!  I'd had enough!

After that geographical error, my knee swelled up and the knee was in pain for several days.  I iced it and took Ibuprofen every day.  All I could think of was the Thanksgiving Day 5k was a week away.

I have never been so concerned over a 5k and I worried about it all week!  However, this morning (race day) I woke up with just a little swelling and no real pain to speak of.  Rob picked me up and we headed for the Sprint Center Campus with my goal of trying to hold on to the 11:00 pace that I was able to attain while running with Rob.  I was really hoping I could run a 33:00 finish time. The big question was:  Could I hold on to that pace for 3.1 miles since I had only hit that mark spasmodically when running with Rob.

The race started and it took me about a minute or two to cross the starting grids and start my Garmin.
Although Rob and I did some warm up jogging, I was still feeling kind of tight, but after Zigging and zagging through all the walkers and jogging runners, I was finally able to find a pace that was comfortable for the first mile, which I hit in 10:37.  Mile two 9:42, mile 3, 9:41 and the last .13 miles were at a 9:11 pace.  I ended up running 3.13 miles on the course.  Garmin time was 31:11 at a 9:59 mile pace. 

Needless to say, I was pretty pleased with my first road race since December 4th, 2011 (three years)

What pleases me the most is the goals I can now make for running Brew to Brew, Hospital Hill Half, and the Philadelphia Marathon.  Now I know I can make it!