It was interesting running in this race considering it was actually my first 5k. That fact didn't dawn on me until much later, but it is a weird thought. My first race was the Shamrock 8k in Portland Oregon back in 2011 and everything since then has been a 10k or above. So for a first 5k experience this was an interesting one. I arrived way early, as I am apt to do, and it actually started misting. I felt like these are my normal conditions only slightly warmer so I was good. I kept an eye out for fellow Team runDisney folks, but I missed them all that morning. I did however notice that most of the people hanging out with me in corral B had on Dopey bibs much like myself. Little did I know that we would all be sticking so close together through the entire course.
The course was great! We ran out of Epcot parking lot and to the right to come in to World Showcase close to Mexico and Norway. There are few things as beautiful as World Showcase all lit up. I tried to soak as much of it in as I could, but I was unable to shake my pack. I felt a bit like cattle considering all the runners around me were sticking to a 9:45-10 minute mile. I felt like it was fast, but I couldn't find a spot to slide into to slow down. I went with it. The adrenaline was pumping so I rounded World Showcase enjoying every little view I took in. Before I knew it I was heading out past Spaceship Earth and back into the parking lot for the finish. It was still dark! 33:09 was my final time for this "warm up" run. I wondered though if that was too fast. This being the first and shortest of four runs this weekend, I knew I would need to do something differently the next two days in order to survive the marathon on Sunday.
Just as the pack went out together, we arrived at the finish line together. In the largest clump, all of us waiting to get our coveted 5k wristbands we funneled past the water and Powerade. It seemed chaotic, but it moved relatively quickly after the initial stop. It felt like somebody threw a party and about 50 extra people showed up. However, I had my "medal" and my wristband, so I was ready for picture number one of the experience. I grabbed my awesome box of snacks and headed back to the rental car noshing on my earned banana, for I knew I'd be back at the same place the very next day.
Fantastic first run, but there was way more to come...
A few pictures from the event...
Okay, very few. Ha! More will come in the next posts and the book of course!
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