Feb 24, 2014

Brea 8K Classic: 2/23/14

I haven't seen a PR in a while so it was nice to have a guaranteed PR today. I have never ran an 8K before so I knew it was going to be a PR no matter what! Since an 8K is right under 5 miles, I liked the idea of it being right in the middle of a 5K and a 10K!

This was a pretty local race for me which offered same day race bib pick up which is always a plus! The real reason why I wanted to run this race was because of the food sponsors at the finish line. I know..that's kind of a wrong reason to run a race, right? 
 AND
Packet pick up started at 6:30am so I headed out early to pick up my packet and still had some time to prepare for the race which started at 8:00 am. Packet pick up was well organized and there was no wait at all. There were plenty of porta-potties and the wait was just a few minutes until it got closer to the start of the race. Parking was free and super close to the Start. This race did it all right!

The course was not flat and had a few hills that really challenged me. I started out conservatively since starting out to quickly is a mistake that I always avoid. I had to take it easy on the hills because of the lingering pains that I have been dealing with due to my major shoe problems. Mile 3 was the toughest and is known as "Heartrate Hill." I was okay with my pace because I am keeping my eye on my long term goals and did not want to risk an injury with two marathons coming up in the next few months.
I finished in 38:24 (7:42 pace) and that was good enough for 5th out of 174 in my Age Group. I felt strong the entire time and just kept telling myself to relax and let my legs carry me to the finish line. Here are my splits for those who are interested.
I loved the race and it was well organized. I will definitely be back next year and not just because of all of the awesome food sponsors (hehe!).

Have you ever ran an 8K?
I think this is my new favorite for a short distance!

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