race recap: race for paws virtual 5k

i've never done a virtual race before now, as one of my favorite things about racing is the atmosphere of the race itself. however, when kristina announced she was hosting a virtual race to support paws chicago, i knew i wanted to participate because of the cause it went to. i'm an adoptive furmom myself, in chicago no less, so i it's a charity close to my heart.

hamilton hanging out post race, wondering why i'm so sweaty.

we all know how wednesday's attempt at a pr and race submission went, so yesterday's run was my chance at redemption. i decided to go the outside route using my garmin instead of the treadmill route, seeing as how the former would be less likely to delete my data. i also left my phone behind, as i planned to use the auto-pacer feature to keep me on pace for another sub-30. it looked a little cold outside, but seeing as i overheat easily, i opted for a tank and shorts.

i give you all this background because i did a lot of things wrong with this virtual race haha.

i set out on a loop that wouldn't cross any streets, so that i wouldn't have to deal with a bunch of stopping. since i was alone in this race, i zoomed off, enjoying the fact that i didn't have the normal race crowds to deal with. however, very soon in to running, i felt i was going fast. i looked at my garmin and saw that i was keeping a 9:09 pace. ummmm, what?! that was way too fast. i slowed down, but i could tell that i was already tired. so much for that auto-pacer. i also realized that i was super cold on my arms; i definitely should have worn a long sleeved shirt for this run. so there i was, cold and tired and only a third of the way through my virtual race. i kept trucking on, but i really
could have used some music for motivation and regretted leaving it behind. i stayed inside my head mostly, trying to mantra my way through the rest of the distance, and then i heard a beep from my

the crazed face of setting a new pr.

garmin around mile 2.5. "low battery""no way...not again!" i had a few bars of battery when i left the house, so i don't know how it got low so quickly, but there i was yet again, facing the possibility of losing data from a pr. and so i booked it home, just hoping my garmin wouldn't die before i finished. i was huffing and puffing and so uncomfortable and i'm sure i looked crazy to anybody in the park around me, but i didn't care. as soon as 3.1 popped up on my screen, i hit stop and save immediately. finally...proof! and going out too fast and all that hustling at the end led to a new pr! 29:31.9

so what did i think of my first virtual race? i really did miss the on-course support. i of course also wish i had this pr chip-timed so it would feel more official. i also did a lot of things wrong, which were my own fault of course, that made it less enjoyable. but, being able to set my own pr friendly course was nice, and it helped an awesome cause, so it was worth it in the end!

have you ever done a virtual race?

-b