About the Race

I won a free entry to the 42nd Annual Virtual Freihofer’s Run for Women 5K from one of my blogging friends, Darlene, who was one of this year’s race ambassadors. Prior to this year, Darlene had run this Albany, NY based race for twelve years straight and this year was going to be extra special for her running it as an ambassador. Instead, she ran her favorite race alone, albeit virtually with 2,200 other women runners from around the world.

From the Freihofer’s Run for Women 5K website here’s a little bit about the race…

“Founded in 1979, the Freihofer’s Run for Women is one of only a handful of all-women road races in the world. The 5K combines some of the top American women distance runners and more than 4,000 women from New York’s Capital Region and across the nation. From Olympians to recreational runners, it’s an empowering blend of competition, participation and camaraderie. The event, which takes place in the shadows of Albany City Hall and the majestic New York State Capitol, also features a Kids’ Run and Junior 3K Run, as well as a two-day Health & Fitness Expo.”

The wonderful thing about virtual races is the ability to run them anywhere and anytime within a designated period of time. The Freihofer’s Run for Women 5K allowed runners to complete their race anytime between Saturday, May 23rd and Sunday, May 31st.

 

Leading Up to the Race

Not only had I won a free entry into the race, but so had Kim. Not wanting to miss out in the silly race shenanigans, Cari registered for the race and ran it with us. In the weeks leading up to the race, we exchanged emails and texts and determined that Saturday, May 30th would be the best day to run, and that we would all wear purple. I downloaded my bib and I was ready to go!

Freihofer's Run For Women 5K

 

The Course

Since virtual races can be run wherever you choose, I opted for close to home. Just for fun, I created a map of my race course. The circle is just under a half mile, so with one trip out to the parkway it took about seven and a half laps to complete the race.

 

The Big Event

I headed out for my race promptly at 8 AM and was delighted to discover low humidity and the temperature at a comfortable 66°. Still injured, I had no choice but to walk the race, but with classic rock playing in my AirPods I focused on keeping my walking pace at a decent clip.

My first lap took me off the circle and toward the parkway, but I decided I could walk faster without having to make sharp turns so I stayed on the circle after the first lap.

 

My virtual 5K even had a water stop!

 

My neighbors probably think I’m nuts for walking lap after lap when we have miles of shaded trails, but during these times of COVID-19 and social distancing, I prefer to have the quiet street to cross whenever I see someone coming toward me rather than trying to stay distanced on a narrow trail.

 

The Finish Line

I cruised in to the finish line with a time of 44:54 (14:29 pace) feeling great and full of smiles – it was a beautiful day and my back felt great.

 

My splits were…

  • Mile 1 – 14:52
  • Mile 2 – 14:23
  • Mile 3 – 14:16
  • Final .1 Mile – 13:47 pace

 

Post-race Fun

After finishing my race, I enjoyed a yogurt parfait on our deck while texting with Darlene, Kim, and Cari. When I can’t mayor after a race in person, texting is the next best thing!

 

The ladies and I shared pre-planned photos of high fives and jumping for my husband to use for working his photoshop magic and turning into post-race group shots. 😉

 

High five on a job well done!

Freihofer's Run For Women 5K

 

What race is complete without a silly jump-shot for the finale?

 

Shoutout to the Winners

After completing the race, runners were encouraged to upload their race results and pictures which were then shared on the website. Results can be found here and pictures can be found here. The first three finishers were quite speedy!

  • • 1st – Hannah Reinhardt – 16:51 (5:26 pace)
  • • 2nd – Melissa Gacek – 18:22 (5:55 pace)
  • • 3rd – Kaleigh Haggerty – 18:33 (5:59 pace)

Within the 60-64 age group, I finished 80th out of 100 runners/walkers.

 

Packet Delivery

I had hoped to receive my race packet the week after the race, but it didn’t arrive until June 22nd. Packets included our shirt, race medal, and a $4.49 coupon for Freihofer’s bakery products (not being from the Albany area, I didn’t realize that Freihofer’s is a bakery).

At registration we had the option to choose a tank or tee and within each style we had a couple of different colors to choose from. I chose a hot pink tee…

 

Medal Monday

Even a virtual race deserves to be celebrated on Medal Monday, even if you have to wait three weeks to get your medal.

 

Questions:
  • • Have you ever won a free entry into a race or other event?
  • • Do you color coordinate outfits with friends for a race?
  • • Have you run a virtual race?