I woke up Saturday morning feeling tired, but ready to run. One of the things that I like about running races while pregnant is that the pressure is off, I'm just out there to have a good time. So I was looking forward to seeing my sisters and getting a few miles in on a beautiful saturday morning. I've never run the South Berwick Strawberry Run before, or even been to the Strawberry Festival despite living so close for most of my life. So the course would be new to me, I was looking forward to the surprise. I arrived at the start of the race over an hour early with enough time to register and make multiple trips to the bathroom (a must when a 2.5lb baby is pressing down on your bladder 24/7). As I filled out the registration form I realized that this was my first race in a new age bracket!

I met up with my sisters, Alissa and Danielle and we milled around until the start at 8am.

My race plan was conservative because the forecast called for highs of 90 and I didn't know if the course would be hilly or not. I knew I wanted to run in the 9's (around 9:30, faster if I felt better) and I wanted to run negative splits. I chose to wear my Bella Band for extra support and my new Nathan Swift Hydration Belt with gatorade because the course only offered water, and with my experience with side-stitches I wanted to make sure I had an electrolyte drink handy. I also wore my For Two Fitness "Running for Two" tank top (which I love!) because it's long enough to cover my belly, meaning that I can buckle my Nathan Pack low on my hips without worrying about chaffing.

When we toed the line (well, my toes were pretty far back from the line) it was already in the high 70's. As we waited for the gun to go off I realized that I was really comfortable and was looking forward to the five miles ahead.

Mile 1 (9:26): I started off at a nice slow pace and climbed the first hill comfortably. The first half mile was in the shade with made the pace feel easy. We turned the corner on to Main Street and into the sun and that's when the sweating started. I tried to stick to the sidewalk where it was somewhat shaded. I checked my split and was pleased with 9:26.

Mile 2 (9:19): The second mile was nice and flat even though it was mostly in the sun. When I checked my split at the marker I was surprised to see that I had run a little faster, given that it was heating up.

Mile 3 (9:33): Mile three was completely in the sun as we ran past a soccer field and rounded the corner to a few rolling hills. I was feeling surprisingly comfortable: my belly didn't feel overly huge like it has been the past two weeks and my stride felt easy and relaxed. During this mile some of the runners were weaving back and forth on the road, changing sides, I knew enough about the course to know it was a loop so I stuck to the right side knowing that we would be making mostly right turns, I didn't want to waste energy crossing back and forth across the road. The course wasn't closed to traffic and at the start they had not made it clear to runners which side to stick to. At one point I witnessed a girl, wearing headphones, cross the road right in front of a truck that was coming from behind, several other runners and myself called out to her, but she didn't hear us and clearly hadn't looked for the truck. A perfect example of why not to wear headphones during a race, especially if the course is still opened to traffic!

Mile 4 (9:42): The first part of mile four was mostly in the shade, which was a welcome relief. There were also group of spectators handing out ice cold towels to the runners, which was awesome! I wiped my face and held the towel to my neck and it was the perfect relief form the heat. Right after the shade we were back into the sun and hit a few rolling hills, which I took slowly. I was a little disappointed when I saw the split, but given the heat and the hills it wasn't a suprise.

Mile 5 (9:11): I picked up the pace a little knowing I only had a mile left. There was one more little hill with about a half mile to go and on the hill I passed three high-school aged boys, as I did I couldn't resist saying: "You're gonna let a pregnant lady beat you up the hill." They all laughed and said "Go right ahead." Passing them gave me a little adrenaline boost and I finished the last half mile strong and feeling good. Crossing the line in 47:15.

I ended up averaging 9:31 min/mile, but I am more pleased with the way that I felt the whole race. It was by far the most comfortable I've been racing while pregnant and I'm in my 27th week! When I ran the Big Lake Half Marathon I was jet-lagged from my trip to Singapore and dehydrated, so I was never really comfortable and the 5K I ran I was pushing the pace maybe a little too much, but this time around I felt great! I think it was because I was well hydrated both before and during the race and I was dressed comfortably. I also think my relaxed approach to the race and the fact that I didn't have any expectations was also helpful.

I have another race, the HASLAW Manchester 5K on Tuesday and I'm looking forward to taking it easy and enjoying the downhill course. Stay tuned for that race recap!

When have you felt most comfortable during a race? What was it that made you feel that way?

--Sarah

Strawberry Run Race Recap

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