(Don't ask me who comes up with the names for the 5Ks around here!) I usually drive my lazy self to Saturday morning running group, even though we meet at the gym 1 mile from my house. On 5k days, though, I always run there...mostly to avoid the crowded parking lot afterward, but also so I can get in a couple extra miles and a warm-up/cool-down. I got there at about 7:45 to register. Registration is just writing your name, rank & signature on a list. You don't get a t-shirt or check a box for your age group or pin on a number or anything. Today they gave out jingle bells to get in the holiday spirit (but collected them at the finish line...what kind of holiday spirit is that?!) I didn't take a jingle bell anyway. I saw lots of people that I know, but NOBODY from my running group! Lazies! The start of the run is always crazy. Walkers, kids & people with strollers just pile on in. Usually I get stuck in the back and end up working too hard passing people. Today was my lucky day though! I started at a decent pace and didn't get stuck in the crowd. One Senior Master Sgt. that we know came up next to me and I decided that I wanted to stick with him for the first mile at least because I remembered that his pace is challenging, but do-able. I did, and I even passed him up as we came up the first hill. He was able to re-open the gap on the downhill. But then he had a wardrobe malfunction at the bottom of the hill (his glasses fell apart!) and I was able to catch back up. By this time, we were heading up that big hill. SMSgt H. was pretty strong up the big hill, and I tried to be. The hill is tough, but I try to tell myself that uphills are actually the time that my short little legs come in handy! Even though I didn't manage to catch back up with SMSgt. H. on the way up that hill, I did pass quite a few people. And I like people, but passing them still makes me happy ;) When the ground leveled out, I just kept telling myself to push for just a little while longer. Then, when I was almost at the turn that leads the last few yards to the finish line, I heard someone say, "We've got the third female coming in here" and I realized that was me! So I really turned it on then because I had no idea how close behind me the next woman was. So I finished as the 3rd place female (we don't do age groups here) and my prize is...my name and time listed in size 12 font on a plain piece of printer paper that will hang in the gym for a few weeks. SMSgt. H., SMSgt. T., and I cheered the rest of the runners in and talked about how much better these runs could be if, say, they gave medals to the 3rd place female ;) or t-shirts for the participants or had bananas and did a little more promotion. Other than the people near the finish line cheering on their family members, there were NO spectators. And we ran right through 2 housing areas! SMSgt. H. also commented on how "efficient" I looked going up the 1st hill by the middle school and that made me happy. I got to cheer for 2 of my old students (and their siblings & parents)too! Their smiley little faces were so cute when they heard someone call their name! One little guy came to me afterward and proudly told me that he beat his sister, his dad, and his dad's friend. I like to think that maybe when their parents asked them if they wanted to go out and run a race this morning, a little part of them thought about their old teacher...they all know I run and Michelle & her family have even been out cheering for me during both Okinawa marathons! My time was 23:25. Last time I did this race it was 24:19, so I'm happy with that! This is getting too long, but I have to say one more thing...there were a few Marines running in their camis and boots! Not too strange of a sight around here, but one was pushing a baby stroller, hit a curb and nearly tipped the baby head-over-heels out of the stroller! Yikes! I think he decided to ease up a little after that and they both made it safely to the finish line! | 