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I participated in the 34th All-America City 10K in Edinburg. I was a whole minute faster than last year.
If I keep that up, in 25 years, I’ll be able to finish it at a respective pace. Three quick notes about the run:
Side Note: If anybody in Edinburg sees a green FitBit, that may be mine.
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When I got to the second annual I'm Losing It in San Benito 5K, I went to a table with water bottles and asked for one. A man said, "No." He explained the water was for runners after the race, and they needed to make sure there was enough for everyone. There were about 40 bottles of water. I saw 12 people around me. I'm embarrassed to think of what my face looked like when I heard the response. What no one had any reason to know (and was admittedly in no way their concern) was I had ran five miles to get to the race. I had gotten up late. I focused on getting all my reflector gear on. I lied to myself that I'd stop by a store on the route for water. But I was worried about getting to the race late, so I didn't stop for water. There was still water in my hydration backpack at home, but well... I'm stupid. I thought, "I'll look like an idiot carrying a hydration backpack at a 5K. If I take the backpack, instead of a sling bag, I won't have anywhere to store my reflective gear. I'll be wearing a hydration backpack AND reflective gear at a 5K." How many times must I learn this lesson: Don't worry about looking stupid. Stay alive. So, I found a water fountain that I instantly loved. And here's a recap of the rest: The race had a small crowd. It was a casual run. There wasn't any timing chip or loud sendoff. I was by myself in the middle. The runners (who unlike me look like they're running) left me quickly behind, and the walkers were at least half a mile behind me. The 5K was my first chance to use the Heavin Resaca Trails. It was very nice. It was a beautiful day. Twice, I was tempted to step off the trail and use the swings. I don't think the ladies handing out water for runners will understand why I was so thankful. They were evenly kindly handing out water bottles to anyone who was walking by. I also have to add my sincere thanks to the San Benito Police Department and Fire Department for their help during the 5K. There was one part of the route I thought I'd have to wait for a truck, which was going to turn in front of me, but then a patrol unit pulled up and let me have the right of way. That was much appreciated. There were a few people on the trail walking with dogs who didn't have leashes. That always makes me nervous, but there weren't any incidents. There was a health expo at the end of the race. I was starting to make the rounds, but my water-free five-mile warm-up hit me. I had to excuse myself and call my family for a ride. So, once more with feeling: Don't worry about looking stupid. Stay alive. I was basically pooped from my recent races, but my niece wanted to participate in the Santa Dash 5K in Weslaco. All the participants would get Santa outfits, and she wanted to dress upon of her dogs.
I always enjoy my family joining me at run/walks, and the run sounded like fun. The event was changed from a morning run to an evening run, so I was able to make it. The race started late. (Thank goodness. We were late.) The costumes were fun. And a lot of people added their own personal touches. There was a snow machine at the start line. Link: See the SmugMug gallery of the event While my niece was excited about running with her dog, I was a little less than thrilled. That’s nothing against dogs. I just wish we were all a bit more organized when the race started. As soon as I tried to cross the start line, I was immediately tangled in a leash. A little boy was holding the leash, and his mother was telling him to hurry up, until she realized what had happened. A little further down, two runners had to stop to untangle their dogs. I had trouble hearing the announcer before the race started. I was confused, because I thought I heard, “Stay on the sidewalk.” When we turned onto Texas Boulevard, we were on the street, so I thought I misheard him. The runners and walkers were told to stay on the southbound lane. That didn’t make much sense to me. It’s a two-lane street. The side streets were closed, so there wasn’t any traffic, and the water station was on the opposite side of the road, so runners were headed to that part anyway. Another participant later told me she moved to the side of the road to tie her shoelace and was told she had to move. I saw one of the vehicles used to coordinate traffic guide another vehicle through the street. They were heading in the opposite direction of participants, and the participants were told to move. My sister was one of the last people to finish the race. I backtracked to find her. When I did, traffic was already flowing on the street. She and the other remaining participants were now on the sidewalk. It was already dark, and I didn’t see an race organizers or police watching out for them. Isn’t one of the points of a run to have the roads closed, so runners have the right-of-way? It was a 5K. Most of the participants are done in a little more than an hour. If the city or organizers were concerned about closing one of the main streets, why not just use another street for the run? My sister said her knee was hurting. At the start of the race, we were on the street itself, which is level. Later, we were moved to the edge of the road, which slopes. She said when that happened, her knee started to hurt. Maybe I was being overly concerned. She and the other participants who hadn’t finished seemed in good spirits. But as a person who’s finished at the end of races, I’m used to my police escort even on less-trafficked streets. The snow machine was turned back on at the finish line. I liked the medals and even my niece’s dog got one. Along with the water at the finish line, there was hot chocolate waiting. There were also funnel cakes and tortas for sale. There was a Christmas fireplace photo backdrop available. I was actually a bit sleep-deprived. I had just gotten back into the Valley after an out-of-state trip, so I didn’t get to enjoy the run as much as I could have. If my family wants to participate next year, I think I’ll stay with them for the entire run and make sure we pack our own lights. It's the the third year for the McAllen Marathon. It's been renamed in honor of the late city commissioner Scott Crane. He died after participating in last year's run. (Read more about it here.) This year, organizers added a 5K. It was held after the kids' run, which is the day before the half-marathon and marathon. The 5K turnout was small compared to the main runs. If the race organizers copy the Run 'N' Roll remix challenge, maybe they can increase their numbers. The remix challenges participants to run two races - one on Saturday and one on Sunday. Runners get a a total of three medals. I know the bling compels me to run the challenge. It was a bit cold the weekend of the runs. It sprinkled a bit on Saturday and I even bought a poncho at Target, which is so convenient next to a start line. (Side note: Ignore the $16 ponchos in the front of the store. Head to the camping section and buy one for less than $2.) The morning of the run, I debated carrying my pancho with me, since I thought it might rain. Then I heard someone say, "No, we'll be fine." Because it was still early in the morning, it took my mind awhile to process this. It went something like this: "I know that voice..." "It's Alan.... " "... " "Alan is a meteorologist." "..." "He's NWA certified or something..." "Alan knows the weather..." ".... " "Listen to Alan. Forget the pancho." I then got a breakdown about the incoming cold front. It was expected to hit in the middle of our run. The good news is we'd have the wind at our backs for the first half of the run. When the cold front comes in, we'd be heading south and the wind would still be at our backs. So... the only challenge is I have to beat the wind to the halfway point. That's all. I just have to beat the wind. I actually made it in time. That was no thanks to Mile 4, which unofficially became my first mud run. The entire road was caked in it. I'm sad to report my time stunk. The McAllen Marathon with its flat trail took me almost as long to complete as the San Antonio Rock 'N' Roll Half with its hills. Ah, well. It was my fifth half-marathon in three months. I'm tired. As long as I finished, I'm okay. |
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September 2017
AuthorFormer high school water girl (really) finally running. |