5k Run

Several months ago, I participated in the Run for Red (cross) 5k. According to the initial plan, most of the eight girls in my nursing section would run. The plan was to all train and then run it together. Well, as it turned out, only one person (Tigerlily Brandybuck of Buckland-the taller one, and yes that's her real name)really stuck to a good training schedule. From what Goldie Burrows (red hair, also a real name...if you're a hobbit) said, we both ran in spurts on random days we made it fit into the too few hours. To her credit, I don't think she ever ran the full 5k distance before the race. Hmm...I guess that's not really to her credit unless I point out that she finished and survived. :) I trained, mostly on treadmills. The only bad time was when I suddenly decided it would be good to check and make sure I could run 3.1 miles, even though I hadn't really worked up to it. So then I was sore. However, besides the pain, I like feeling like I've accomplished something (pushing myself enough to rip apart muscle fibers...yep, for some reason I gain satisfaction from that knowledge).

At the race, they ran out of safety pins to secure numbers to shirts long before I went to get pins. Apparently others did not recognize the amazing source of pins available commonly known as the floor. Or maybe they were just unwilling to bend down that far and run a 5k all in one day. So I gave extras I found to other people. When we three were all ready, the race managers delayed starting the race until someone returned with more safety pins. So much for the value of my amazing finding powers.
Oh yes, and with regard to the many friends running together, others who at first seemed enthusiastic either did not register or did not get out of bed. So it was three girls from section three.
Actually running the 5k was rather fun. Goldie's husband followed us and took pictures. Of course we were smiling the whole time, not just when there was a camera aimed in our direction. We decided that since none of us were planning on winning, we'd simply stick together the whole time. This meant Tigerlily and I were pretty much talking the whole time. I'd definitely say that the time and distance seemed to pass by faster than any other time due to the company and conversation. (Isn't it funny how time drags out whenever you're really pushing yourself physically? Maybe it's the whole lack of oxygen thing. Anyway, that's not how this race was.) I was surprised when they said, "just run up the hill to the finish line" as I didn't think we could have already gone that far. I don't remember how we placed, but we finished in about 35 minutes...neither first nor last. That was Tigerlily's only requirement when we decided to stick together-that we not be the last ones in. Mission accomplished!!