The 5K That Wasn't

It was my fastest 5K. That's probably due to the fact it wasn't really a 5K.

I saw some confused faces, as people crossed the finish line at the Harlingen Medical Center & TSTC Community Health Walk/Run.

They glanced at their watches or phones. No one wanted to be rude, so in hushed voices we asked each other, "Was that a 5K?"

​I don't mean to be discouraging or critical. It was a nice event. We started with some Zumba. I enjoyed the route, which passed by the Iwo Jima memorial. And there were some nice swag bags, along with a quick health checkup.

Plus they had a big backdrop for photos. Some events have a tiny little background, which doesn't make it easy for group photos.

We were all just a little confused at the end about the time.

I signed up for membership at one of the tables. Note to self: Take photos for membership cards before a run, not after. I'll have a sweaty photo reminder of the event.

I was actually sweating more than usual for a 5K. You see, I was supposed to run seven miles the day of the event, as part of my training. Because I'm stupid, I ran four miles before the race started.

I ran near the route. One of my coworkers headed to the run told me he wasn't sure if he was driving in the right direction for the event. Then he saw a runner. And then he noticed the runner was me. 

I was worried I wouldn't make it to TSTC in time for the start of the race. Every runner I saw on the road made me think I was late. Fortunately, I got there with enough time to demonstrate my very poor Zumba skills.