Anyway, we all know I'm marginally sentimental toward this race for some ungodly reason and once again, decided to do it this year. Although that almost didn't come to fruition; didn't get it off at work and had to beg and plead and pick up another shift for it to get mostly covered enough so I could run.
Like last year, we walked down to the park early for packet pick-up and then walked back home to eat breakfast and everything. In park visit numero uno, it seemed quiet. The quietness was magnified by the time we started the race - it seemed like no one was there (even though the race results have 22 more people participating this year than last).
In any case, they kept the race the good route, but it just sucked this year. I knew it was going to be a LOT hotter than last year and even though I would have loved to keep my sub-30 5K streak alive this year, I figured if I could hit around 31:00, I'd be happy.
Mile 1: sucky. Up the hill, squeezing past rocks, only one water station, what now?
Mile 2: still sucky. Wound around through one of the subdivisions, started to get some downhill, never really felt like getting going.
Mile 3.1: Decided for the first time ever in my racing career to not sprint across the finish line (to make it the second time ever; couldn't physically run across the finish line at turkey trot '08) so Brandon and I could cross together chanting, "USA! USA!" No one was amused. Sad day.
Final Numbers:
Gun Time: 31:21
Chip Time: 30:59
Overall Place/Total: 136/306
Pace: 9:58.35/mile
Sex Place/Total: 48/153
Division Place/Total: 11/25
No pictures taken, but I will include some of the happy fireworks we had ... until the city decided to set the park on fire for the second time in four years. *sigh*
Off to the right, you can see the flames from the actual fire. Fun, eh?
Thanks for the beautiful photos!
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