Kelly St. Patrick's Day 5k - Baltimore, MD

This is my favorite race of the year.  It's such a fun race.  It starts at 1:15 p.m., which is so nice since Baltimore is about an hour twenty minutes from the house.  It starts with a fabulous downhill that's almost a full mile.  Everyone is dressed up in green or costumes...or both!  And it starts with Jaws crossed with Jingle Bells (or "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" by the Dropkick Murphys).

This is our third year running it and even though I have two races next weekend I wasn't about to skip it.  Hubby and I met up with our friend Ada and some of her Baltimore County Dragon Boat mates.

Brian shortly left us to start up further as he's faster than we are.  The rest of us chilled out while we waited for the start of the race.  Once the horn sounded, it took us about 4 minutes to get to the green and white arched balloon start, but we made it and off we went!

It's a crazy start because it's all downhill to start.  Really.  The first mile of the race is downhill.  Which gives you a fantastic view of all the green people are wearing to this race.  It is THE best part of the race.  If you start at the front (cough cough, elites, cough, cough) you totally miss out on it.  Sure, you finish in 15:04 (yes, the first place winner finished in 15:04!!), but you miss the coolest race view EVER!

 The sun was crazy so you can't really see how truly awesome the sight is.

Ada and I stuck together for a good portion of that first mile, but Ada's faster than me.  So no hard feelings, she headed off to run her race.  I hit the mile marker somewhere in the 15 minute range.  Thinking it took us a couple minutes to reach the start line, I figured I was really about 13 minutes.  I was ok with that.  Now, the issue I have is, I have been doing the modified run/walk method and ummm I forgot Garmie.  I had NO idea when the half miles were.  So, I decided to walk a minute at the mile markers, which meant counting to 60...out load.  LOL!

Made the turn onto Key Highway (because every race in Baltimore involves Key Highway) and up the hill I went.  Now, everyone will say this race is flat past the big hill at the start.  Maybe for the elites, but for the average runner, there are several places where there is a noticeable uphill.  They aren't mountains or anything, but they are uphills.  But, with all my running through Mt. Wolf the last few months, the uphills didn't bother me.  I was shocked.  But, I kept going.  

I hit the turn around and grabbed a water at the water station because it was HOT.  Maybe not FL hot, but hot for mid-March in the Mid-Atlantic.  It had to be over 60 degrees!  I finished my water and kept going, eventually passing the 2 mile marker somewhere in the 27 range, which I was thinking would be about 25 minutes (thinking again a 2 minute delay in reaching the start.).

Now is the other area I say is an uphill.  Well, it is an uphill and many people just stopped.  Runners just decided to walk up the hill.  I felt pretty good so I kept moving.  It was rough trying to get around all the walkers at this point, but I kept moving.  I got to the top and turned towards Pratt Street, which leads to the finish line.  As I ran under an overpass, a little boy yelled out, "You aren't running good."  After the initial laugh, people started yelling things like, "I don't see you out here running," "I know where you live," and "I know!"  

I made my right onto Pratt Street and reminded myself that Power Plant Live! (which is where the finish line is) is not as close as I think it is.  Keep moving!  People were all along cheering us on and I finally saw the 3 mile marker and knew I was almost there.

I made the left into the Power Point Live! street and could see the clock.  40:42 showed.  Disappointment ran through me.  I had such high hopes of seeing 36 on that clock when I got there.  I saw hubby on the side lines as I ran towards the finish line.  I crossed and found him quickly.  He said I looked good as I came into the home stretch, but I was kinda down about the time.  I knew the clock was gun time and not chip time, but still... 

We shortly found the rest of our party and skipped the after-party.  Free beer, but you just can't get close to it.  The race has like 3,000 people and it's just too narrow an area for that many people.  We headed to the James Joyce Irish pub like last year.  When we got there it was practically empty, so we got a table right away...on the deck!  We all celebrated our fabulous runs with Guiness, Black and Tan, rum and Coke, and Harp.  And then we ordered yummy Irish food!  Hubby and I shared some Brown Soda Bread (which I could honestly live on) and while I ordered Sheppard's Pie, hubby ordered the fish and chips.  Two thumbs up.

 Brian and I at the James Joyce post-race

Shepard's Pie - delicious!

Now the fun part.  Our friend Ada has a fancy phone that allows her to look up internet stuff.  Charm City Run does a great job of posting race results quickly and quick they were!  Ada was able to find me while we were at the table:

3261 697/968  Christina Stetler       F 36 Manchester PA    40:54 36:43 11:49 

So, yea.  Do you SEE that chip time???  Let me share with you what it says, 36:43.  I PR'ED BY TWO 

MINUTES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  INSANE!!!! I was floored!  How the heck did that happen!?!?!?!?  Honestly, I don't 

think I care.  I'm just THRILLED it happened!  What a fabulous race!  And if you read yesterday's post about my ankle,

no worries! The ankle held up just fine.  :-)