Colleen Lantz Memorial 5k goals

Saturday morning I will be running a 5k race.

I hate 5ks, and this will be my third one this year! Why am I doing this??

I wanted to run this race because it was a lot of fun last year, it's a handy excuse to go visit my parents (who live in the area), and I have a goal of running 13 races in 2013 and needed another race this month. Last year I ran the 10k, and I would have done the 10k again just to try and better my time, but the Midsummer 15k is the next weekend and I definitely don't want to race a 10k so close to that. So, the 5k makes the most sense since I should have time to recover and put forth my best effort at Midsummer.

The best part of last year's race was definitely the kid's run and all the activities the race organizers had set up to keep the kids entertained.

There was a musician, bouncy house, face painting, crafts - when I finished my race my kids were nowhere near ready to leave!

This year I'll join my kids for their 1k, and have a nice enjoyable little easy 5k jog.

HA HA HA. Oh, who am I kidding, as soon as I'm on that starting line I'm going to want to run fast. The 10k route last year had a couple of nasty hills, but looking at the 5k route map I think it avoids them. Assuming it's relatively flat and the weather is cooperative, I'd really like to shave a few seconds off my 5k PB.

Weather forecast looks to be decent enough.

There's a lot of stuff in my favour for this race: it's a cutback week so I haven't been running much and will be well rested, I've done some quality speedwork over the last month, and I'll have my family cheering me to the finish. So I'll run like hell and see how things go.

Finishing the 10k last year. It was SO HOT and hilly and at the time, the 59:01 finish was a pretty decent time for me. My paces have come a long way since then.

AAA goal: have fun with my family
A goal: what the hell, I'm going for a new PB (current is 24:32)
B goal: 25 or under
C goal: under 26
D goal: finish with a smile on my face

Go big or go home!

This still, of course, leaves the all important question of what I'm going to wear. My times aren't the only thing that's gotten better over the last year - my running wardrobe is lot nicer. I'm looking at that picture from the 10k and I think I wore that same outfit for three races in a row last year! *Gasp* So I definitely won't be busting out the black shorts and blue tank.