Race Recap: May in Bay 5K (2018)

I’m really stubborn and despite the fact that I ran my last 5K three months ago, I’m going to recap it today. After blogging every race I’ve run over the past 9 years I can’t just let this one go. So here we go! On Saturday, May 26 I ran the May in Bay 5K in Bay Village, Ohio. This was my first 5K race in 4 years!

May in Bay 5K

Training
After the holidays I was debating if I would run many races in 2018. I decided I would start with a 5K. I do not like running in the winter so the 5K I chose ended up being at the end of May. To be honest I wasn’t a great workout role model during those dead of winter months.

It wasn’t until March and more so, April, that I began to run more. In order to train for this the May in Bay 5K, all of my running had to be outside because I did not have access to a treadmill. My training was pretty much the bare minimum I needed in order to prepare myself to run 3 miles again non-stop.

My training regime was a mix of running, yoga and boot camp classes. During this time I was able to run a few 4-milers with a neighbor. It was great to have support on those longer runs! My weekly mileage tapped out just under 10 miles a week. Most of my training runs were 2 miles.

Race Day
I selected to run the May in Bay 5K in Bay Village, Ohio. I had heard of this run before and it sounded fun but each spring would come and go without me running it. Last year my focus was on middle distance races, well middle distance for me at least. I ran the Rite Aid Cleveland 8K and the Firecracker 10K. After that my running fizzled out and I was OK with that.

The last 5K I ran was the Run @ the Ridge 5K in North Ridgeville, Ohio in 2014. It seemed like such a long time ago! I mean I have had a lot going on the past few years. I knew going into this 5K race that I would not PR or come anywhere close to it. I’ve lost a lot of speed over the past few years and am fully aware of it. But I wanted to just sort of test the waters with a 5K and have some fun.

On race morning I got up extra early to chug my water. I typically will strive to finish the bulk of my water intake roughly 2 hours prior to race start. This, I have found, allows enough time for my body to hydrate and pass whatever it doesn’t need. Usually I will drink about 36 ounces of water. After that I had my typical pre-race breakfast of a single piece of wheat toast covered in natural peanut butter.

I got dressed and ready for the race. I brought my bib to put on once we arrived. My husband and daughter came along, which of course, was great for support! I forgot to mention my husband picked up my race packet for me the night before which made morning of pickup/registration a non-issue. Once we arrived at the race I did a warmup routine and stretching.

Related blog posts:
• Run With Your Dog at These Dog Friendly Races
• Running Cramps: How to Stop Them for Good
• My Running Journey: A Look Back
• When Do You Need New Running Shoes?

The race started and ended at Bay Village High School. The race is very similar in setup and course to the Bay Days 5-Miler which my husband likes to run almost every year. The race started just outside the high school and ended on the high school’s running track. It’s always nice to finish a race on an actual track.

The Race
I went out fast at the start to keep with the field but knew I would plan on slowing and settling into my preferred pace once the field thinned out. As I expected my first mile was my fastest with mile 2 and mile 3 being a bit slower.

The course was pleasant. There was not a lot of crowd support along the sidelines as it’s a smaller race but there were a few folks cheering runners on, playing music and holding up signs. As usual the Bay Village Police Department did a great job with keeping the course safe and traffic free.

The course ran through neighborhoods and we were on one “busier” stretch of road, Bradley Road, for a short bit. At that time runners were in the lane going north and vehicles were in the lane going south. It worked out fine but I was glad to get back into the residential areas. The course was flat so it would be a good one for a PR if anyone is seeking a 5K PR next spring! There was one water stop along the way.

May in Bay 5K

Official Time: 33:38
Overall Pace: 10:51 min / Mile
Age Group Placing (F 30-34): 11/17
Overall Placing: 168/254

Post Race
We finished at the stadium and I tried my best to sprint at the end and pass a few other runners. When I looked at the results I saw someone in my age bracket beat me by only 22 seconds and pushed me out of the top 10. Now I wish I had started my sprint sooner!

After the race there were hot dogs, granola bars, bananas and bottled water for runners. I ate a hot dog which I thought was a different post-race option. At least it had a good protein and carb ratio! There was not much swag for this race. I received a cotton T-shirt and the post-race food.

The race was also affordable. Overall I enjoyed the May in Bay 5K and would consider running it again in the future. I was happy with my time as I really had no goal time. If anything this race showed me where my baseline is. I actually improved my time by a few seconds over the time I had for that last 5K back in 2014. However, my time was a good 5 minutes over my 5K PR. That PR was set in 2011.

What’s Next
After I ran the May in Bay 5K I was debating if I would continue running and training for another 5K or a longer distance. After much deliberation I decided I wasn’t enjoying running that much. I wouldn’t call it a love hate relationship but right now, for me, it’s something along those lines.

I enjoy workout out and it’s a big part of my daily life but I also like to enjoy my workouts. For most of the summer  I continued with boot camp and yoga and would run once a week just to keep up that baseline. I am still doing that, however, I have now added weight lifting back into my regime. At this time I have no plans to run another road race in 2018.

Below are links to recaps of my 2017 road races:
• Race Recap: Firecracker 10K (2017)
• Race Recap: Rite Aid Cleveland 8K (2017)