Boca 10k/5k Race Report

We lucked out and found a really well organized race for our vacation/last race of 2014. And this completes my 14 race goal for 2014!! I don't think I'll attempt 15 in 2015... have to think of something else! 

We got up at the ungodly hour of 5. Yes, AM. And I'm freaking out because it's race day and thinking we should have gotten up earlier, but we had plenty of time. We drove up A1A from Lauderdale-by-the-Sea to Boca Raton, past about a million bicyclists and some REALLY nice mansions. (In the dark)

See? Dark!

The race organizers let everyone know that parking is limited so plan to get there early, which we did, and had no problem getting a primo spot. I was able to switch from the 10k to the 5k because I've barely run all week and the idea of 6 miles was kind of stressing me out, but I knew I could do 3.1 easily. Steve, of course, was signed up for the 10k. And what's awesome about this race is that EVERYONE gets medals! 

The beach! Jealous/?

We started right at 7:30 (on time! Awesome!) and ran down A1A, which is by the beach, although you couldn't see it most of the time through trees. It was an out and back, and all the runners started at the same time. The 5kers turned around, while the 10kers went through a residential neighborhood for a few miles. 

The first two miles were awesome! Great breeze, slightly downhill....didn't realize it was downhill until we turned around and it was uphill!! It was 71 to start and about 80% humidity, which I'm not used too, but like I said, the breeze was nice.

I finished in 32:22 (11th in my age group - not my best, but better than my last race) and Steve finished the 10k in 47 minutes (7th in his age group). Besides the medals and a nice shirt, you can print out a certificate that says you finished! 

We would TOTALLY do this race again if we were in the area - and probably anything else the group sponsors. More info here. It would have been nice to finish the year with a PR, but we all have to keep working toward something, right? Next year, sub 30-minute 5k. 

The medal is HUGE! And awesome!