2017 Make Your Heart Race 5K

I so vividly remember my first ever 5K. It was held in February of 2009 and was called the "Make Your Heart Race 5K", put on by my hospital. It was a cool and humid morning and I completed that 5K in 32 minutes and some change. After a few years, they stopped putting on the race and nothing ever took it's place.

Well, imagine my surprise when I heard an advertisement for a race of the same name again this year! After several years, they brought the race back - our fitness center took it over and changed the location, but it was the same "Make Your Heart Race 5K", nonetheless! Needless to say, I jumped all over that race registration!

As my friends and I began discussing the details behind this race, the idea of forming a team came into play. You see, my friend Melissa's dad passed away last month from a sudden heart attack, attributed to heart disease. Since this race was all about heart health, we decided to create a team to honor him....so we called ourselves "Team Mickey". Mr. Tracy was a devoted Disney fan and loved Mickey Mouse, so that's where our team name came from! Also, he was a State Trooper and loved his line of work, so we outlined the writing on the back of our shirts with the shape of the state of Louisiana.

Assembled and ready to run!

The back of our shirts said:
Always in our hearts.
In memory of
Sgt. Tracy Morgan
EOW 01/10/17
 

Somehow, we arrived super early and we were one of the first on site!

Funny side note - if you remember the Disney Cruise Line story and the fog that happened that morning....well, guess what the morning of this 5K brought along? Yep...it was super foggy. I find the correlation between the two a little funny because I think someone was trying to play a practical joke on us from heaven. :)

Anyway, after a few announcements and a quick prayer, we were off and running. This route was brand new to me so I didn't know what to expect. We ran by a nearby high school and through a neighborhood. One of the streets was even named "Karen Lane"!

I somehow ended up with the lead pack in the very beginning of this race and as we hit the half mile mark, they began to fade away. You know when you watch the Boston or New York Marathon on TV and you see the lead pack way ahead of the next set of runners? Yep, that's how I felt. I was so worried I would get lost since this route was brand new to me and had lots of turns, but it was clearly marked and had someone on each turn to direct us!

I tried to stay below a 9 minute mile and didn't even check my current PR before this race began. I felt as if I didn't have a chance to get close to it, so I didn't think about it. This was my first post-baby 5K and I figured I would take what I could get.

After mile 2, I realized that was a silly idea as I was running WAY better than I expected. However, my sides were starting to hurt and I wanted to stop. I kept telling myself that I could sit down when I was finished and I only had a little bit to go. I could also hear Mr. Tracy telling me that I couldn't give up now...I was too close to the finish! That was just the boost I needed to finish strong.

Although it wasn't quite a PR, I was still incredibly impressed with myself! My pre-baby 5K PR was 25:08 so a little more than a minute off isn't bad!

After catching my breath and trying not to throw up (I truly gave this race all I had), I stood around and talked to a few running group friends. It was great to see them again since my running group disbanded!

I also had a chance to cheer for Jason and Brayden as they crossed the finish line...as well as the rest of Team Mickey!

Even Brayden's shirt was complete! :)

While waiting around for the awards ceremony, we took a girl team picture!

The awards for this race were for the top overall 1st, 2nd, and 3rd male and female. Imagine my surprise when they called my name as 3rd overall female! 

I knew I was close but wasn't completely sure that I placed!

Our awards were from the local Painting With A Twist and I love it!

After the awards ceremony, we deiced to head over to a local diner for breakfast.

Delicious and a perfect way to end a fun morning!

I want to thank my friends who all came together for this event. I truly am honored that I had the chance to run with this team. This one was for you, Mr Tracy!