Date/Location: | 2/23/2020 Davis, CA |
Distance: | 5K |
Time: | 24:35 |
Place: | 1st (W10-12) |
Teammates: | 1/2 Marathon: Dana Haldeman, Martin Sengo, Troy Soares |
5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Go! I start running slowly because my mom and I are in the back and it’s crowded. Mommy is still recovering from a hip problem so that’s why she’s running with me. I run fast and leave mommy behind. I run across a path made of wet grass. At the end of the path, it says 5k turn left, 10k and half turn right. I turned left of course. I look at my watch and see that I‘m behind the pace dad set for me which was 7:50 pace. He says I don’t have to be spot on but try to stay close. I already start getting tired. I go through a tunnel and back out. I hear mommy say “Ariel are you alright.” I reply “yes.” I keep trying to not let her catch up but she did. I stay with her. She’s going at a good pace. There's a mom and boy right in front of us who are going at about the same pace. Mom says to stick with them. I go through a tunnel. I love tunnels because you feel like you are in a movie because it’s so quiet and you can hear every breath and footstep you make.
Mile 1: 8:10. I run past the mile marker sign. I go on a small road and past a park. I see the aid station. I get water and start drinking it. I drop the cup with a small remaining amount of water. I run through another tunnel. Mommy is helping me keep a steady pace. She also is giving me tips. She tells me to pretend to elbow the person behind me when I run. We’re running on a bike path. I can’t wait until I finish.
Mile 2: 8:06. We run by the 2-mile marker. My watch says it’s not two miles yet. In about .1 from the sign, it said 2 miles. I keep running. It’s very flat. We run by a lot of houses next to the bike path. I run into another tunnel. We cross a street to another bike path. And then turn. I hear people and see them. I’m so happy. I run past the playground. Mom tells me to go beat the boy in front of me. I go to a sprint. I turn the corner hoping to run right into the finish line but then I see them directing us to take a loop around the parking lot. I go around the parking lot keeping my sprint.
Mile 3: 7:47. Right as I turn into the finished chute, I hear mom yell “Go, Ariel, go!” I start sprinting as fast as I can. I look at the clock and realize it says I didn't beat my time. I’m so sad. But then when we check the results and I realize that I did beat my time by 11 seconds. I finished 1st in my age group at 24:35.