Paradise Island 5K Race Recap

May 26, 2019

This was my second time running the Paradise Island 5K in Orange Beach, AL. I ran it back in 2017 just months after my knee arthroscopy. (Read my recap here)

I believe that was the inaugural year. It drew a big crowd then, but it's only gotten bigger since then. It's now part of the Run the Coast Summer Series which includes four races in the area starting in April and ending Labor Day weekend. Finishers of all four races get a jacket and a medal at the last race in series. I probably won't be able to complete the series this year due to conflicts with the 4th of July race, but maybe one day.

This race starts at the Orange Beach Sports Complex and runs along the paved Back Country Trails. I like running along the trails.

I hoped that I could improve my time from my last 5K in April. I only ran three two milers since then, so my expectations weren't very realistic. It struggled to stick with a routine of running while going to grad school. However, with graduation behind me on May 3rd, I had no excuse for not being better prepared for this race. It's just so hard when running is no longer a habit.

I took off way too fast during the first mile. I was pacing 8:45-8:50 min/mile for the first half mile or so and then I started to slow down. By the third mile I started to use my 2:00 run/:30 second walk intervals that are programmed on my Garmin.

When I made the final turn onto the soccer fields I could read 29 minutes on the clock. I wanted so badly to keep my time under 30 minutes, so I sprinted as fast as I could. I finished in 29:57.

Mile 1- 9:01

Mile 2- 9:37

Mile 3- 10:07

0.14- 1:10 (8:22 min/mi)

It was nice to see Mindy, Katie and her friend Ragan again. I chatted with them at the finish. Then, Michael and I spent the rest of the afternoon fishing.

Ragan, Me, Katie (@katieshepherd03), and Mindy (@roadrunnergirl)