Running has always had deep roots within my family. My parents’ first date 44 years ago this month was to a track meet. (I’ll let you be the judge of my dad’s ability to plan dates.) Some of my earliest memories from childhood are attending collegiate cross country meets and trying to emulate the runners my dad coached. Later in life, my mom discovered a passion for running and is currently training for her fifth half marathon. You can imagine my excitement when I have the opportunity to run with my family. It doesn’t happen often since we live in different states, so I jumped at the chance to run the Oldsmar Armadillo Run with them on Saturday.

The Oldsmar Armadillo Run is a small local race near my parents’ home in Florida that they run every year. It offers both a 5K and 10K option and is a completely flat course with views of the water. My husband and I planned a trip to Florida that happened to coincide with this race. My dad, husband and I signed up for the 5K, while my mom registered for the 10K.

2015 is my year of running for fun. It feels odd to not be training for a goal race or completing very specific workouts, speed intervals and tempo runs. I’ve been enjoying my lower weekly mileage and all the additional strength training and cross training I’ve been doing since the Chicago Marathon last fall. Needless to say, my only goal for the Oldsmar Armadillo Run was to see where my current fitness level is given my lack of specific training. I secretly hoped I’d be able to maintain 10K pace for the race (or slightly faster than my tempo pace if I were training for a marathon) – perhaps somewhere near 7:15ish per mile pace.

The race and my running exceeded my expectations. It certainly wasn’t my fastest 5K nor did I feel particularly good while running (it was very hot and humid), but I proved to myself that my current exercise, running and strength training translated into what I would consider to be a decent time for me. (Please note that race times are relative. What is fast for some people is slow for others and vis-a-versa. What I may consider slow for me is not a reflection of what may be an incredible time for you. We can’t compare ourselves to each other; but rather we should simply compare our running to our own times and racing history.)

By the Numbers: The Oldsmar Armadillo Run

• 249: Total number of 5K runners that finished the race
• 177: Total number of 10K runners that finished the race
• 85: Percent humidity during the race
• 71: Temperature at the race start (in degrees Fahrenheit)
• 30: The number of seconds I peed in my pants after crossing the finish line
• 22: The number of minutes it took me to run the race
• 14: Place I finished overall in the 5K
• 9: Place Mr. rUnladylike finished overall in the 5K
• 3.14: The official distance I ran according to my Garmin (3.14 on 3/14 … love that!)
• 3: The number of times I pooped before the race started
• 2: The number of crab cakes I ate the night before the race (definitely not something I’d typically eat before a race, not to mention the slab of key lime pie I also consumed)

• 1.17: The number of miles I ran with my mom after I finished the 5K and went back out to find her on the 10K course and finish her race with her (My mom finished third in her age group!)

• 1: The place Mr. rUnladylike and I both got in our age groups (first place female ages 30-34 and first place male ages 40-44)

• 0: Miles my dad ran in the race (He injured his hip two days before the race and wasn’t able to run so he spectated instead.)

All in all, it was a great way to experience my first race of 2015. Florida sunshine, family and a little race bling … what more can you ask for?

Which do you enjoy more: Large races or very small local races? Does your family run together?