Tri-Cities 5K

So maybe I feel like running again.  I got back from the half-marathon and immediately looked for a 5K I could run.  And I found one.  It was up the street in College Park.  It was called the Tri-Cities 10K and 5K.  I thought about the 10K but looked at the race times from the past few years and wondered if there was a cut-off.  I definitely wouldn't make the cut-off (everyone was faster than 70 minutes).  But the 5K looked ok.  So I signed up.  A and D both declined because they both had to work. 

So Friday night, I could pick up my race number.  D and McMenamin drove me to the Airport Marriot.  It was a little weird that Marriot was sponsoring the race (they even had hotel room specials), for the race but oh well.  The proceeds went to a Charter School (I think Main Street Academy), so maybe a parent worked there?  Not sure.  I'm sure if I googled I could find out.  Anyway, I left D and McM in the car and went to get my race packet.  It was a number and 2 cookies (well it was one cookie, but I took 2...no sugar cookies, or I would have taken 3 so McM could have had one).  And we went back home.

Saturday morning, D was running around when I got up...turned out he was late for work.  He said he walked all 3 dogs so they peed but nothing else.  Tjen he left .  It was pouring outside.  52 degrees.  I got dressed, and left.  I got to College Park by 7.  I couldn't find where I was supposed to go though.  It was still pouring and no one was out, although the race path was very well marked.  I pulled into the public parking and decided to check my email to see where I was supposed to go.  Lo and behold, they had emailed where they were.  I wasn't that far away, so I parked and walked to the Auditorium.  OMG!  The wind gusts with the rain were miserable.  No way I was running.  I got in the Auditorium and got my T-shirt and water bottle.  They were really nice to give me a T-shirt because I left my number in the car.  I grabbed a water, and went back to the car.  Another wind gust.  No way I was running.  I got into the parking lot and someone in a car asked me where the auditorium was.  Of course, I said, "Oh, I'm going to move my car over there. Just give me a second and follow me."  What?????????   So I drove closer to the Auditorium.  I pointed to the lady where to go, and sat in my car.  I texted with D for awhile saying no one else was leaving.  I would be a wuss.  At 740 I told him I was going to the gym (which he took for I was leaving and going to the gym we belong to).  I went into the Auditorium and just stood there.  There was a woman there that looked as excited as me to be there.  We talked a little while. She was going to do the 10K but decided to do the 5K because she rather be in bed.  This was her 3rd 5K.  She just started running in November after she finished radiation for cervical cancer.  She decided to lose weight, and she loved running clothes so why not wear them for real.  A really cool lady. 
Finally 8am rolled around and they said the race would go on.  We all walked out to Main Street.  The race was chipped timed, but I noticed there was no starting mat.  Oh well.  We were off.  I started my watch where the lady who called start was. 

We ran with the 10Kers down Main Street and separated at Rugby Avenue.  This was mostly flat. Rugby seemed flat and slightly down hill.  I was keeping a pretty fast pace, which I knew was dangerous for 2 reasons... wearing myself out and if we were going downhill, there was going to be uphill somewhere. 
Mile 1: 11:30

We turned and had one more downhill, and turned again and up.  I ran as much as I could and then walked a minute.  There was a water stop somewhere there, as well.  I was passed on the hill by some walkers.  Eh.  Turned again and resumed running.  I passed some people.  This was mostly rolling hills. Up, down, up , down.  I should have looked at the houses. But because of the rain, I had a hat on and I wasn't to make sure I didn't slip on the road.  So I know it is shocking, but I ran looking down.  What seemed like an absurd uphill was Mile 2.
Mile 2: 13:15

I turned again, and the whole road was uphill.  Really?  I had a good pace, but I knew I wasn't going to hold it.  My legs were tired.  I now know where to practice hill running.  Rain was rolling off the brim of my hat.  Finally I turned on Hemphill (I remember this road because the same named road is on GT's campus, and it has Hemp in the name...yes, I'm 11 years old).  And then we turned onto Virginia.  This is the way I had driven to College Park, and I remembered another hill.  Shit!  Sure enough when I turned onto College, there was the hill.  I focused on the cracks in the road and running to each one (normal wear and tear...the road wasn't bad).  Finally got to the cop at the top of the hill.  I saw the finish line.  It looked like it was on a track.  Hmmm.  I turned onto the track and saw I wasn't at 3 miles yet, so yes, there was a lap around the track. 

I got through the track and crossed the line.  Their time was 40:07, mine was 39:55.  In my age group I was 7/15. Not bad.  I started looking for water, but didn't see any.  As I was walking back to the Auditorium, I saw the lady I talked to before the race.  I cheered her on, and she smiled.  Then I got really cold and went back to my car and drove home. 

I was getting ready for the day.  So I took Lompoc and Scuttlebutt for a walk for their business, separately.  SB is weird in the rain, and pulled me down the stairs.  The rest of the day was spent on my back on the couch, since I hit the stairs outside pretty good. 

Still happy though.