Al Briede 3 mile race review and recap

The review: This is a big race for local high schools, and it benefits Brother Martin. Lots of runners show up for both the 1 mile and 3 mile race, and quite a few track teams are present as the student rate is just $10! It's a popular race honoring Al Briede, who is 89 years old but still shows up every year. He started the race 44 years ago, making it one of the older races in New Orleans (well, the Thanksgiving race is like 102 years old, but whatever). I like that the pre-registration discount extends until less than a week before the race. The course itself is in City Park and it's pretty, flat, and fast. Post-race refreshments are plentiful, but again...who's eating at 9 am? During hotter years (this May is oddly cool), the 8:30 am start easily makes for 90 degree running weather.
The recap: It wasn't any 90 degrees this year...it was beautiful!

I was running injured and completely unpracticed (I ran two short jogs this past week and that's it) so I didn't have high expectations. For me, if I skip even one day of running, my next run features painful extensor muscle (along the shin). I don't know why this happens, but it has always plagued me, so I expected to deal with that plus a darn fracture, worsened by my lack of practice. However, on my side was the gorgeous weather!
Since I didn't have anything to lose, I wore my new Saucony Racer Rides. Normally I wouldn't wear brand new shoes and style for a race, but it's just 3 miles and I figured this was a throw away race anyway!

Turns out I love my new racers! Yay! Light as a feather! Holy cow my quads are huge. 

I got to the start with not a second to spare, thanks to catching every single red light on the way, and I didn't warm up since I didn't want to waste a step on my hurt leg. I started out feeling good except for pain along the fracture; for the first two and a half miles I ran 6:30 - 6:40's. The pack thinned quickly (I started closer to the front this time), so by half a mile we were settled in. After the first mile I started edging up, but I didn't know my place since I hadn't seen who was leading me. As it turns out, I and another girl were trading 2nd and 3rd position for most of the second half of the race. I pulled ahead of her by mile 2, but at mile 2.5 my leg quit. Just walked off the job, just like that. No unemployment for that sucker! I can usually run through pain, but this was severe, stabbing pain and I was automatically limping. So I basically finished limping and sort of crying (I mean, it HURT) and the girl behind me passed me. I would have tried to catch her if I knew we were 2nd and 3rd because she caught me close to the finish line, but I had no idea whether I was second or twenty-second! I finished third but I was so obviously in pain that the sweet and kind race volunteers made the EMT come see me. But I'm stubborn so I said I was fine and walked off. But they put me in a golf cart anyway and I had to eat humble pie and be humiliatingly driven to my car.
So, that was bad. I obviously must take time off running, especially since now it hurts even when I stroll. I promise I will do that. But on the positive side, I know I have some speed in me. Even injured and un-trained, I did ok. When I'm 100%, I fully plan on kicking some 5k butt and making my sub-20 goal!