The Aquarium of the Pacific 5k in Long Beach is one of my favorite 5ks. It’s usually hot, but you get to finish through the aquarium, which is so much fun. Last year, I placed second and won a toothbrush. This year, I was also second and got an aquarium ticket, but I ran the race totally differently.
Before the Aquarium of the Pacific 5k:
My plan was to run the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose, but with the unseasonably hot weather, I didn’t feel like driving up there. I’ve also been going through some mental challenges that I’m working through. All of that to say, I didn’t have it in me to drive the 10+ hours round trip to San Jose. I arrived in Long Beach the night before, picked up my packet, and relaxed. The Aquarium of the Pacific 5k started at 6:50 a.m., and I was out of my hotel door by 6:10.
I decided to stay downtown because I didn’t want to deal with traffic and preferred to sleep in. The morning was kind of chaotic. I hadn’t slept well, and I found myself tossing and turning. I was torn between wearing the 361 Furious Future 1.5 and the ASICS Metaspeed Edge Paris. I’ve liked the ASICS Metaspeed Edge lately, so I decided to give them a shot for racing. The last time I used them was at a race was Carlsbad, and that race didn’t go super well. LOL, funny enough I think this race did go well and I ran the exact same time.
I warmed up for a couple of miles and made it to the start line of the Aquarium of the Pacific 5k just in time.
Aquarium of the Pacific 5k Race:
The race began, and off we went. I knew I wasn’t feeling my best and focused on just working hard. I didn’t think it would be a podium day for me and it was disappointing after being on the podium before. The first mile is super flat, and I ran a 6:35. I think my watch didn’t start on time because it was another 0.03 miles after the marker before it beeped (and it just felt longer from the start). I was kind of bummed because last year I ran a 6:17, but I reminded myself that the circumstances were different, and it was a lot hotter. At mile 1, I was in fifth place.
The four women in front of me weren’t that far ahead. I thought maybe I could catch fourth and possibly third on the hill, but I also thought that might be wishful thinking. Looking at someone 10-15 seconds ahead in a 5k and thinking: “I could pass them in the remaining two miles” is borderline naive and crazy.
As we headed up the bridge, I thought, “Wow, this is steeper than I remember!” LOL. They advertise it as “flat and fast,” but with 100 feet of climbing, I wouldn’t classify it that way. Anyway, after hitting mile 2, I found myself in third place, but it wasn’t as if the women I passed were far behind. We were all just bouncing around for position.
I knew I needed to push the third mile if I wanted to stay in third. I could see I was gaining on the second-place woman and decided to go hard and see what happened. I pushed on the downhill of the bridge and found myself in second around mile 2.5. From there, I ran as hard as I could. As you go through the dark aquarium, you wonder, “Am I going the right way?” Luckily, there’s really only one way to go. I crossed the finish line of the Aquarium of the Pacific 5k in 20:43, finishing as the second woman overall.
Aquarium of the Pacific 5k Thoughts:
I’m really proud of how I stayed engaged and fought during the race. It would have been so easy at mile 1 to think, “Not my day, just run,” but I ended up pushing hard and having a great race. The Aquarium of the Pacific 5k is not an easy race, especially with the 100 feet of climbing between miles 1.5 and 2.5, but it’s a lot of fun, and the vibes are great.
You can see Strava here and all race recaps here.
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Questions for you:
What is your favorite 5k?
Have you ever done a 5k that runs into a building?