The splits:
Mile 1 - 9:38
Mile 2 - 9:48
Mile 3 - 10:02
Last .13 - 1:05
Elapsed 5K time - 30:33 per Garmin Forerunner 110
It bugged me a little to see that many of the participants around me were absorbed in whatever was in playing in their earbuds. Being a back-of-packer for years, on out-and-back courses I typically watch for and cheer for race leaders on their return leg. It just seems like the right thing to do. After a few minutes I realized I was the only one doing so. So in exasperation, I yelled out, "The running community in Katy is way too quiet!" I don't think my message made its mark on anyone around me, but I felt better.
In the middle of the third mile, I got passed by some pre-teen girls wearing tutus and "CAMO FOR A CAUSE" T-shirts. They made me feel like a slacker, so I picked up my pace the best I could, muttering "Just try to hang with the ponytails....just hang with the ponytails...."
The ponytails dropped me like a brick anyway, but I felt good returning to the Villagio. Around the final turn, I saw the Chik-Fil-A cow executing some animated mascot moves, which inspired me to pause for a microsecond before the finish line and give a bow towards the bovine in appreciation.
This was definitely my first true race of the summer. My shirt was beginning to soak through with perspiration even before the starting horn. 'Twas a good thing I opted not to wear the stylish, but cotton, camo pattern race shirt. The "camo" theme was new for the Rotary Club race, as a salute to America's troops and especially as a nod to one of the race beneficiaries, Team RWB Texas. The other beneficiary was Katy ISD's Special Buddies program, The combo of the two made an compelling choice as I -- as Houston Running Calendar -- helped sponsor a race for the first time . . . and hopefully not the last time.
No comments:
Post a Comment