The title says it all. During training (mostly at the gym), I came to run 3.12 miles for 37 minutes. I told myself that as long as I finish within my training time, I'll be happy but who knew? I was quite surprised at my running time and pace since I did not expect to run this fast.
The race was held along Lake Washington's western shore, at Leschi Park. I was a little concerned about the rain since running in shoes is not really pleasant. Thankfully, the weather cooperated and it turned out to be a beautiful morning and a wonderful day.
The first mile of the run was alright since the ground was level. Right after the first mile, it became harder because of the gradual hill climb that stretched for another mile. The last mile or so was not as hard as the hill climb except for the twists and turns that never seem to end. It was another small hill climb to the finish line.
What's next after my first 5k? Keep up with my current run time and pace which I am able to reproduce on a treadmill at the gym--thank goodness! I guess the scientist in me wants to prove that what happened three Sundays ago was not a fluke. I even keep a record of my run time and pace each time I run at the gym. I also started gradually increasing speed with the hope that I can shave off time from my current run.
The gym has become a lab-of-sorts for me when it comes to running but nothing beats running outdoors. I still make it a point to run around Lake Union which is about 7 miles around. Come to think of it, if I keep this up (which I will), I'll be able to run my first 10k pretty soon.
