PineCone Classic Backwoods 5k!!!!!!

Today was race day and it was super exciting to have Steven Pyle with me at the race. That man ran like a champion today running a nice 17:13 effort which is awesome!  The race a cold with temps thanks to a nice 25-30 mph windchill in the 40's so I debuted my arm coolers from Pearl Izumi that I bought for the Mount Washington Road Race.  Those arm coolers/warmers are awesome. They keep you warm but also can help ventilate so for those brisk mornings help to regulate your body temp.  The 5k is a very fun low-key race with no bibs or time chips but has a lead bike and a very great traffic-controlled course.  I just went out for a 5k run and my pace was nice and easy. I felt like I was running a decent clip but then began picking it up after 9 minutes in to ensure I was running my best.  I love this race because they give out an awesome goody bag with running gels, key rings, an 80 dollar gift certificate and a 3 month personal training pass for the winner which is AMAZING for a nice low-key 5k... I hope this race in Norman continues to grow in popularity and can help this store out!

With all the working and lacking in distance training, I have been doubtful of what I could do. Today, I pieced together a nice 14:56 winning effort which was 5 seconds shy of last year's time but was solid.  This race gives me tons of confidence for the winter and spring racing season as I hope to string together some hard efforts of winter running (my favorite) before the big OKC marathon.  I feel like I am back to normal again and my spirits for running have been lifted. The sky's are the limit and only time will tell where my running can take me.

Photos courtesy of Backwoods.com