Fit Foodie Run Recap (and a New PR!)
I’m just gonna come right out and say it: I have a new personal record for running a 5k race!
But to start from the beginning…
Saturday, my mom and I entered the Fit Foodie 5k race in Fairfax, Virginia. Since it was sponsored by Cooking Light and Health magazines, the ongoing theme throughout the weekend was healthy food and fitness.
Here’s the back of the shirts; how awesome is that race tagline?
Pretty much the story of my life.
I was a bit nervous about the race the night before because there was a 50% chance of rain. Unfortunately, the rain did come, but only a light drizzle at first so the race went on as planned.
The race was hilly! I felt like we constantly were going uphill or downhill, which made the race mentally challenging for me. The course itself was also a bit confusing at times, because there were places where the people further along the race would cross/pass through other people running the race. But in the end, I pushed myself, and I am proud of the outcome!
I haven’t really kept track of all of the 5ks that I’ve ever run, but I know for a fact that I have never broken a 9 minute mile before! How did I do it, you may ask? Well, I didn’t train (besides my usual gym routine) and I drank a few beers and I went to bed at 1am the night before, so I have no idea! I think my biggest motivation was the rain. It didn’t rain while I was running but it threatened to before and after. So maybe I was subconsciously running faster to avoid it? No idea. Regardless, I was excited to have a new PR. Woohoo!
Then I realized, this is why people run, isn’t it? Most people are not trying to actually win the races that they enter, but they do hope to keep improving on their PRs. I can see how that gets addicting…
Btw, if you ever think “I could never do a 5k,” this guy did it pushing THREE kids.
If he can do it, you can do it stroller-free! He also started behind me and finished before me, but we don’t have to focus on that point…
After the race, it was time to eat! There were tents set up at the finish line with samples of dishes from local restaurants. Interestingly, there were lots of gazpachos and cold soups. One of my favorites was this one from Bastille, made with zucchini and Greek yogurt. I’m not usually a fan of cold soup, but I really liked the creaminess.
We then proceeded to the Finisher’s Village, where they had more food samples from Cooking Light and other vendors, as well as a cooking demo stage and fitness area.
They lead a few segments of yoga and band exercises:
But I was more excited to see a cooking demo by RJ Cooper, a James Beard award winning chef and owner of Rogue 24, and his friend Katsuya Fukushima, well known as the chef forDaikaya. Both restaurants have received such amazing reviews that I have wanted to try them forEVER.
The guys made gazpacho (seriously, it was the thing to do on Saturday apparently) for their cooking demo. Did you know that authentic gazpacho was originally white because it was made with bread and almonds? According to Fukushima, who trained under renowned chef Jose Andres, tomatoes were not added to the dish until Columbus brought them to Spain. Who knew?
Overall, I had a great time at the Fit Foodie 5k event, despite all the hills and rain. Maybe I should put another race on the agenda. Any suggestions?
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