Epsom Salt and Pain Patches

Walking 3.12 miles up/down that mountain, and an additional 1.50 miles wandering up/down the rocky areas where the event was located, put into play muscles I rarely use. Stiff, sore, moving a bit like Frankenstein, Epson salt soaks and pain patches have been my life since Sunday.

I'm not the only one. A much younger friend of a friend at the race posted his recovery kit.

Results came in as 1:06:57:9.

I wish!

No way did the timing company get that right because, crossing the finish line, I glanced quickly at the clock and saw 1:25 something -- about right for my slow taking-my-time pace.

I got a kick out of coming in 1^st in my age group last year, even though it was because I was the ONLY one in my age group of 70-99.

I thought I might get a repeat this year; however, going up the mountain I passed two ladies coming down who looked like they were older than most participants and thus would be in my age group. Sure enough, I was last -- beat out by a 70 and a 73 year old.

Overall, out of the 235 athletes competing in the 5K, I finished in 228^th place.

The fact that there were only 235 registered for the 5K is a considerable drop off from the 439 registered last year, when I came in 383. I’m wondering if it’s the emcees that are turning folks off.

They certainly turned me off.

Of course there was a 10K and a Relay going on simultaneously, so there were a couple hundred other folks, but participation was nowhere near previous years.

I’ll have to think twice about registering next year -- weighing out the fun against the package pickup, emcees being so disorganized and now, a new timing company, with highly questionable results.

This coming Sunday is the Monster Run -- a small family-oriented local event, no package pickup involved, flat course twice around the Convention Center.

I’m trying to talk myself out of it.