Oktoberfest 5K #JostRunning Recap

I would love to start off by thanking the ladies at Jost Running for the opportunity to participate in their virtual races for the past three months.  The opportunity couldn't have come at a better time.  It happened just when I thought I had torn my meniscus, and I thought running was out for a long time.  Instead, it meant that I needed to take a step back and take care of myself.  I was a bit afraid to run any local, organized races because I didn't want the pressure to have to PR.  I didn't want to overdo it and re-injure myself.  Participating in the Jost Virtual Runs has given me goals to work toward, and a very flexible schedule to race.  Not to mention the medals are freaking fantastic!

This month is my most favorite medal so far - the bottle opener Oktoberfest medal.  Heck, I kind of need it right now.  I guess I'll have to try it when it comes.  

This week was another beautiful fall week.  The sky has been blue, air crisp, leaves falling, the weather has been cooler.  I love fall.  

I decided Wednesday was going to be the day for my virtual 5.  Tomorrow is the last day, so there's still time if you want to do it!  

I had just dropped Izzy off at dance, and thought I would take my turn at running the 5k course I mapped out for a local 5k I helped out with last weekend.  It was GORGEOUS!  I did a great job creating such a beautiful course.   It went through a really pretty part of town, old houses, great community and then ended up on a private, gravel road with a local farm.  I want to live out there.  I had to stop a few times to take pictures because of the beauty.  I even had to stop to take a picture of the pigs, because not I am obsessed with raising pigs again.  (I even have Ward convinced to get some pigs this time!)  When I cam back from the private road, I ran past the first house Ward and I looked at when we were moving to Gardiner.  We were too slow in putting in a bid, which is unfortunate because the area is beautiful.  Although, it didn't have the land we have now and the house was much smaller than our current house.  

Anyway.....back to the run... it weaved through another side street with even more beautiful homes and then ended at at our local park - called the Gardiner Commons.  My Garmin at that point said 3.05 (close enough).  Since I was a 1/2 mile from dance, I ran back down the hill to dance to our gorgeous downtown, just in time to sneak some peaks at Izzy dancing.  I cannot get caught peaking through the curtain...because she will clam up.  

I did glance down at my watch for my 3.1 time and I saw 25:45.  This kind of made me excited because it's the fastest I've run since August.  Maybe my speed isn't gone forever.  Maybe if I trained a little bit in the speed area, I'd have some more speed back.  Who knows!  

Sign up for the Oktoberfest Virtual Races through this link:

Oktoberfest 5k 10/6-10/12

Oktoberfest Half Marathon 10/13-19

Oktoberfest 10k - 10/20 - 10/26

Oktoberfest Marathon 10/27 - 11/2

Did I mention that this month's benefactor of the races is Midwest Food Bank.  It is the season to donate money/food to food banks as the weather gets colder and the holidays are approaching.

Check out the upcoming races here at Jost Running.  They have some Run Your Mass Off Virtual races lined up for Thanksgiving.  I'm definitely in for those races as well!