In a slightly depressing turn of events, I was forced to abandon my run at a 5th consecutive 10K win at the Energy Events Rum Run. Due to a pulled calf, I was on the verge of dropping out before it got loose a couple of days before, allowing me to reconsider. In a nod to my unchecked competitive spirit, I knew the only way I could attend a race and actually rein it in was to accompany another runner, so I enlisted my tenacious 9-year-old daughter to help.
Testing the day of race crew, I had to enlist them to change my registration to the 5K and sign my daughter up as well. With music playing in the background and tiki themed decorations everywhere, it was a quick process done by happy and efficient staff. I know that is often not an easy task 40 minutes before the race started and I walked away pleased. I left my daughter in the care of my mom to explore the various booths and win some cool stuff from Big Al’s as I eased into a mile warm up, my first run since Monday. concentrating on running slow and loose, I was pleasantly surprised to feel almost ‘normal’ in regards to stride length and muscle elasticity.
This was my daughters second 5K, we have been running every other weekend in distances up to 2 miles in preparation. She joined me in a detailed stretching process as I was trying to cover all the bases in the road to recovery. We then went into the chute as ropes were being used to separate the different paces and creating waves for the start. We were in the 3rd wave and it literally hurt my heart to watch the leaders take off. My daughter was excited and I talked to her about taking it easy and being careful in the crowd. We had fun bouncing around to the music until it was our time to go.
The course meandered through residential neighborhoods for the most part, after a short trip across the parking lot and a walking path. It was definitely not a fast one, as there were several significant climbs. The following descents would have been amusing at race pace. As usual, on the rare occasion I experience a race in a non competitive fashion, I enjoyed hearing the laughter and talking of those around us. Many took a second to cheer on my daughter as she powered through the course, only stopping to walk twice. There was a water station about half way through, which she took advantage of. Unfortunately she did not follow my advice to limit herself to two drinks and experienced a sideache shortly after that prompted the second walking break. There were course marshals at almost every intersection, cheering on the participants, and a handful of residents sitting on their porches.
The event was very friendly and fun, possessing one of the best attributes a race could have, a downhill finish. My daughter definitely took advantage for the last couple blocks, hitting a speed that was almost uncomfortable for me as she careened through the last two turns in the parking lot and across the finish line. I really enjoyed the course and new location, and am looking forward to racing it next year. Parking was really easy, and this race always has a fun and variegated vendor village. Results were printed out shortly after the finish for viewing, and the awards for all distances followed the kids run.
Even though I was not able to race, and finished with a slightly inflamed calf, I had a great time. This event is one of my favorites and is guaranteed a spot on my race calendar every year. It has turned into a family event, with my sister running and our kids either doing the kids run or the 5K. The new location worked well and it felt like a big city race with a small town vibe, grabbing the positive elements from both aspects.