Sunday Runday:LV Kickoff Night Race Report

The next month is going to be full of "Race" Reports, because I've got 4 this month.  Of course, race is in quotes, because all of them are untimed fun-runs.

Last month I got an email from the Rock 'n' Roll Race series announcing their kickoff for this year's Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon.   To kick off registration, Competitor was hosting 5ks in several locations throughout the country, and virtual runs everywhere else.

I know the Rock 'n' Roll series can be divisive, but I'm a little loyal since it started right here in San Diego.   Which is why we have the benefit of smaller Rock 'n' Roll races like the Carlsbad 5000.  There's always good course support, so I anticipated that would occur at the Kick Off Run 5k too.    And as an added bonus?  The fun run was free!  In this day and age where races require taking out a second mortgage, it was nice to see something that was really for runners.  (And I wanted to take advantage because I don't know if it will continue to be free in the future.)


The 5k was held in conjunction with Milestone Running, who hosted and fed us.  On Wednesday night I headed over after work to run.

130 of us showed up to run.  Runners of all levels of ability.  The run itself wasn't timed, since it was a fun-run, but I set up my Nike+ to time myself, since I have that whole goal of running a sub-30 5k, and I don't have any timed 5ks on my schedule.

The first mile had us running mostly on University Avenue, the main street that runs through Hillcrest, North Park, and South Park.  And it went really fast.  In fact, when my Nike+ told me I had completed my first mile in 8 minutes and 57 seconds, I told myself I needed to slow down.  And I thought I had, but when I completed the next half mile in less than 5 minutes, I felt like that sub-30 5k was in my grasp.

The second mile was mostly downhill, which had me worry, because I knew that what goes down, must come up.  I definitely lost some time on the third mile, where we climbed back up the hills.  And when I had to stop for a light.

BUT YOU GUYS...even with stopping and waiting for a light to change, I still finished in 29 minutes, 40 seconds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Personal Record AND my first sub-30 5k!!!!!!  

Milestone Running had hotdogs and beers waiting for us when I finished.  And the nice thing about being so speedy fast (for me) is that I got my pick of the beer selection!  Then they hosted raffles, giving away foam rollers, glow in the dark frisbees, backpacks, and lots of other goodies.  As for me, I went home with this pretty little number, a new bag filled with gu and glow sticks and of course, an overwhelming sense of pride in accomplishing my New Years resolution!