Running Mama Cooks

Yesterday morning, my friend Kathy and I ran the Beauty and the Beach 5 miler in Long Branch, NJ. This all women's race was held in Pier Village, the start and finish of the NJ Marathon that we ran last May. This was my first 5 mile race, so what ever time I finished was a personal best, but I was hoping for under 55 minutes.

It was a crisp morning, perfect running weather for me. Kathy and I started out at a 10:30 pace that felt very comfortable. I was unsure whether we would be able to hold that pace the whole 5 miles, but as the time went on it seemed to get easier and easier. Here are our splits:

Mile 1 - 10:42
Mile 2 - 10:18
Mile 3 - 10:23
Mile 4 - 10:33
Mile 5 - 9:51

I am getting faster!! Not bad for expecting to run 11-11:30 min miles! Kathy and I crossed the finish line in 51:40. We were thrilled!

Even though it was a little disorganized at the start, it turned out to be a really nice event. It was neat running with 400 or so women, all different ages, shapes, sizes, etc. Plus we got great long sleeve tech shirts and necklaces instead of medals!

Kathy and I after finishing