This Saturday marks my first road race of the season! I am a huge baby about running outside in the winter so I don’t usually sign up for any races until April. On Saturday, Mugsy, SL and I are running the Chase the Gorilla, a 5k, in the town next to where Mugsy and I grew up.

Yes, there is actually a gorilla who runs! He (or she) does not run the whole 5k though. Thank god, it must be hot in that suit!

I have run this race three times in the past (twice with SL and once on my own). Here are my previous times:

• 2013 – 28:37 / 9:14
• 2012 – 28:22 / 9:14
• 2010 – 28:30 / 9:12

So looks like consistency is my middle name when it has come to this course! I am hoping that I can beat this pace this year. Our training plan calls for a 5k this weekend in place of a long run so I am going to try to push myself and make this race about speed.

I hope to 1) Not go out too fast and 2) Have some negative splits. This distance is easy for me so my goal is not to just finish (as it is with the half marathon) but beat my previous times for this race.

My PR for 5ks is 25:44 (what?!?) from a 5k back in 2008. My god I was fast! I didn’t know I could run that fast! It must have been downhill all the way with the wind at my back. To be far I was taking bootcamp classes back then with 2 days a week focusing on running (one speed and one distance) so maybe that’s why I was so speedy.

I do not think I will beat my personal record but if I beat my personal record for this race I will be happy. If I beat SL, I will be even more happy! This is unlikely because he somehow still has his soccer-playing-days speed which is completely unfair.

I am considering making a friendly wager with him though. Like seeing if he can be my 25:44 PR or seeing if I can finish within a minute (or two) of his time. We will see how frisky I feel on race day!

Happy Thursday! Is anyone else racing this weekend? Or on Monday?!