Halloween Run for Justice 5K

This past Saturday was my second 5K.  The race started at the Galleria in Cleveland.  The race went pretty smoothly, they have held this race several times before and Hermes Sports does a good job with the details.  The only hiccup was that we paid $3 to park in the Galleria's garage, but then our tickets wouldn't open the gate.  We had to wait for the security guy to come and open it so we could get out after the race was over.

I managed to shave almost four minutes off my time - new PR of 32:41!  10:32 pace, which feels pretty good.  I'm still recovering from this sinus infection, so my lungs were hurting a bit.  Maybe it was aggravated by the cold weather.  It was about 35 degrees during the race.  My CW-X tights are great, and they kept me warm.  I do need a different shirt and/or jacket and maybe another pair of gloves or some mittens.  My fingers were cold till about halfway through the race.

I felt like I was going to die during the first mile, then realized I was going too fast.  My first mile was under 10:00!  I haven't run that fast ever.  There was no time caller at the second mile, so I'm not sure how much I slowed down, but I know I did.  It was an out and back course, and the way back had some hills.  It was challenging. 

The race wiped me out.  I rested for most of the day on Saturday, but on Sunday I really needed to get in another four miles to meet my 50 miles in October challenge.  I knew that I would not be able to get a run in on Monday, since I have class.  There is no way I could get up early enough on a Monday morning to run.  It felt great to complete the challenge!  However, I'm thinking I probably should've just let it go - I'm still feeling pretty crummy. 

My ENT appointment is on Friday.  I'm anxious to see if he thinks surgery is necessary, and if so, how long recovery will take.  It's hard to imagine just sitting at home doing nothing for a few days (maybe up to a week) - eek!  I might have to put this off until Spring, when I am off from work anyway to study for the bar exam.  Plus, I don't feel ready to go for an entire week with no running at all.