5K-ing Across The Pond

Remember that weekend when I registered for a race here in England? My first race as an expat and somewhere NOT in south Florida heat?

Well that race is this weekend! TOMORROW to be more specific.

And even though it's only a 5k, I am beyond excited! Probably because my first (and only) 5k went a little something like this....

That's me and my friend and yes those are our real faces. No that's a lie. But those are our real facial expressions. I'd rather look like not impressed McKayla Maroney . That's how bad it is. And just look at that massive sweat stain. Thanks, Florida. WTF is my arm doing flailing around like that? 

(Photo from thephotoguys.net, the watermark got a little cut off)

This time around, I'm going to put on my game face for the finish instead of looking like a sweaty Derpina.

I remember completely falling in love with racing. Even if I probably was the slowest one out there, it was more than just running. It's a feeling you can't get anywhere else, and I'm excited to feel that way again this Saturday.

Plus, this is a race for many firsts!

First race...
1. In nearly a year! That's too long if you ask me.
2. In England/Europe/not in Florida.
3. In the cold.
4. Where I can actually work towards a personal record (PR) since I've run this distance before.
5. Where I feel as confident as ever. 

Hopefully, I'll have an automatic PR since the 5K (3.1 mile) distance has become incredibly normal for me. Between 3-5 miles has been my go-to distance daily. I'm still not looking to break 30 minutes or anything; I'm unfortunately still too slow for that. But the cold air here has been doing me wonders so who knows what's in store for the upcoming months!

My bib number. Look how fun it looks! I'm a BIG FUN runner!!! It just needs some sparkles and jazz hands I think. 

And of course, in true Taylor nature, my race day outfit has been picked out probably since I registered back in September. Sadly, I left part of my race day outfit in America. COOL. So I have to run (no pun intended) into town to pick up a spare pair of shorts and wash them before tomorrow. Screw my apparently terrible packing skills!

Anyone else racing this weekend on either side of the pond? Or maybe you're kicking back and watching the football on the telly? What are you guys up to this weekend?