The annual Blackberry Festival 5k in downtown Bremerton. There is nothing -- nothing -- fancy about this run, and it's great. Even the course is on the low end of the creativity spectrum -- three laps around downtown. Spectators can see just about the whole thing by walking back and forth a block. It's one block from where I work, so I have a soft spot for the whole thing.
I woke up early (even though the race starts at 9:45, another nice point) and it was pouring. But by 9 a.m. the sky had cleared, it was humid and warm and a little windy, but otherwise nice to run. I jogged from home (more bonus points) to the start, signed up and did a few striders. Talked to a few folks from the running scene that I know, but there were any studs so far as I could see. A bunch of high school kids, who conveniently have been training to race this distance. They all started quickly and I stayed behind that pack, figuring most would slow down a mile in. They did, but I did too a bit. One guy really went out and crushed the field, I think he's a local high school coach (he won with a 16:17). I ran the first mile in 5:33, probably a little fast. I was sluggish on the second mile, 6:09, then kind of held my place for the third mile, a 6:10. Just didn't have a get up and go to chase the three guys I could see, but it has been a pretty poor last month of training. I had a kick left (probably because I relaxed on that last mile) and passed a kid on the 4th Street finish chute. 18:25 overall. Then I jogged a bit, cheered some people, and walked down to the Bremerton Boardwalk for a Blackberry Slug (the last major point in this race's favor). They sell them at this festival, it's basically a donut with blackberry goo (purple is a fruit) injected inside. Good post-5k treat, a true lazy Saturday morning. Then I jogged two miles home.
| 