This was a low-key race put on by a local rotary. Costumes were ‘strongly encouraged’. I’ve never done the costume thing before. It was time to get off my high horse and have fun. First time for everything, right?
I woke to find my Garmin that was charging was now completely deadsville. Blank face. No response when I pressed any buttons. Color me ticked as it’s 1.5 years old and I pretty much gave it the entire summer off. Grrrr.
It was cold (yay!) The winds howled (not yay).
Parking was easy. Extra points for flush porta-pots. With potted flowers inside. I’d have taken a pic if I dared bring my phone into a potty, which I did not. There was even an indoor clubhouse complete with blazing fireplace and coffee. Life is good.
We went out to line up. There was a 5k and a mile. Hoardes of kiddos. They announced how to line up, which was awesome. I love that a dad his daughter wore matching sparkle skirts.
We were off on nicely groomed but hilly (by flatlander standards) trails. Pretty much the entire field lunged out ahead of me. Kids everywhere, all erratic and weaving. A skeleton lady cut me off. “I don’t know where you think you’re going skeleton” Ok I didn’t say that. But I was thinking it. Sans Garmin, I tried to control my zeal to keep up. I dusted the skeleton and settled in on the trail, drafting off of a grey creature with bedazzled ears.
The guy at the first mile marker was calling splits. 8:19. Really? I’ll take it. But progression run from here. At 1.5 the course marshall yelled home stretch. I love the course support but home stretch my eye.
There’s a loop the fasties are emerging from to head in. Nice. I make the turn and hit the wall of wind. For once I am not overdressed. My eyes are watering fiercely. Finally I chug past bedazzled ears, but I hear her hot on my tail. The final mile the marshalls are all saying “almost there” then “right around that corner”. But with no Garmin to tell the truth can I trust them and pick it up? At last the final straightaway. I come in for a decent and thankfully wretch-free finish. Bedazzled ears finishes 3 seconds behind and thanks me for pacing her.
While not my best 5k of the year, I felt pretty good given the trails and wind.
It was enough to secure the AG win. I like the knit caps we got instead of shirts, although grey is not my favorite. Overall a fun morning!
Congrats to this weekend’s racers! Cannot wait to read the reports.
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I LOVE THAT–but Im a misfit who never needs to be strongly encouraged to don a costume 🙂
I’ve never run or cycled in costume myself, but we saw some participants in our ride yesterday in costume. At one point I said to my husband “I think we should pass these clowns” because, well, they were dressed as clowns 🙂
You know I LOVE to race in costume! Cute Marcia!
Your race reports always crack me up. Your inner monologue is awesome. I’m pretty sure I just zone out during races so I don’t even remember half of it.
Congrats on your AG! Very cute costume 🙂
WooHoo for the age group win – so awesome!!!
Love the costume!
And, nice of you to pace Bedazzled ears!!!
YAY, Marcia!!! CONGRATULATIONS on the AG win! I always love your race recaps because they are so relatable. Love the costume, too – you look fabulous!!! And I couldn’t agree with you more on how it’s awesome to get something (ANYTHING!) other than a shirt for a race. Woo hoo!
I’m wondering what that official’s definition of home stretch is. Mine is the last couple of hundred metres of a race – not about half done.
Congrats on your win!
Exactly Char! The last quarter mile at most is the home stretch to me.
Congrats! So glad you wore a costume:)
Regarding your Garmin: If you press two buttons (can’t remember which ones) at the same time it will “reboot” and restart. I have found my Garmin “dead” a couple of times and that seems to have done the trick. I usually just press several combinations of two buttons at random until it works! 🙂
Great recap and congratulations!! I’m not sure if I will ever run in a costume but I think I would like to try.
Nice job! I am not a costume runner either. Good job on yours.
SO CUTE!! I saw you on IG!!! Love the hat for a change! CONGRATS!!!
Great costume! And you are really rocking the 5ks – so happy for your AG win!
I’m surprised Louise didn’t make a running debut … but Catwoman is a good fit, too! 🙂
Congrats on yet another ag group win – you’re on a roll!
MeeWOWWWW! Congrats!
I love that you ran in costume – how cool is that? I still have yet to run my first 5k. I have trouble breathing in the winter when I run.
Halfway is the homestretch!?! I’ll show you a homestretch! Sounds like a fun run. Once I get over my need for speed, I’m totally doing a costume race!
Congrats on the AG placement! I would like getting a hat, too! I have way too many t-shirts. I never thought about how it would be annoying not knowing how far in to the race I am without a watch or timer!
That’s sweet of the dad to match his daughter – I bet they were quite the sight! I’m glad you had fun and congrats on the AG win!
Awesome job!! I love the hats instead of a shirt, too. I was just realizing I need a few running hats to get me through the winter. Congrats on the ag win!
That’s sweet that the dad wore the sparkle skirt too!
Since I don’t wear a Garmin I think I would have been okay but for you real runners, I can see why that would be a real kick in the pants.
Congrats! I like the grey. Cute.
The knit caps are fun!
Boo on the Garmin not working! That stinks!