Day 3,177: Legal Runaround 5K

This classy plaque belongs in a law office, if I worked in one.

I heard about this race through a neighborhood listing. Since it was in the neighborhood (and because of a strange loophole on Active.com that enabled me to have the early bird price of $25 eight days after the early period ended) I signed up for it.

I came into the race with a lot of confidence that I could do well in this. The course was similar to that of the Inman Middle School 5K, a race that I PR'd in 2009.

So the race started and, since all races are different, I found myself with something that I'd never before encountered -- one of my safety pins on my race bib went missing and I found myself with the bib flapping horizontally (left to right) in the wind.

I usually only use three safety pins on my bib, a practice that dates back to when I lived in the Pacific Northwest. Over there, I would constantly wear windbreakers because of the rainy climate but many times would find myself taking them off mid-race.

So I learned to just pin the bib with one pin on the left side (usually on the windbreaker) and two on the right (usually on my shirt), so it would be easier to remove mid-race.

Anyway, the race continued down the hills of my neighborhood and it felt fast, although for much of that first mile a guy and his dog were ahead of me.

Near the end of the first mile, on the first incline, a couple of guys passed me as we approached the big hill at Greenwood. I continued on the best I could, trailing the lead pack of about 10 runners. I worried a little as I ran onto Courtenay Drive, since it would be downhill much of the way and I felt like it would be here where I would be passed by other runners.

I heard the clip-clopping of feet on this portion of the course but wasn't passed until it turned into Amsterdam Avenue, where I was passed by a couple of high-school kids.

We all went up the hill to Elkmont and then I remembered from the 2009 race that I waited until the second hill near the end to try to kick.

Just before this, right after turning onto Elkmont, I saw the young woman who was in the lead to be first overall female walking up the hill behind the middle school. I crested the steep hill and when I came down it I thought she would start running again and I'd get passed.

But it didn't happen. I finished 11th overall in the race. I wasn't really sure how it would play out when they read the awards -- they awarded overall, masters and then first in age group. Including me, there were about five people who potentially could be in the 40-49 category, and they all finished ahead of me.

I really didn't think I would get the age group win and I started to move away from the awards announcements were when I heard the announcer stumble over my name.

It was a great race but one in which I know I need to work on my hill running in the future.

Shoes: One of the changes I made for this race involved not wearing my Saucony Type A6 racing flats. I opted for my Skechers Go Run 3 shoes since my left foot has been sore since running in the Big Peach Sizzler just six days ago. The Skechers shoes were great in the race, however, and gave my feet a nice amount of cushion.

Time: 8:30 a.m.
Temp: 66 degrees
Gear: Technical T-shirt, short (Big Peach Sizzler '09), shorts, Skechers Go Run 3.