Run to the Beat

Heading out early this morning in 38˚ freezing cold weather to participate in the Run to the Beat 5K, I questioned my sanity ─ even inwardly asked myself, why do you do this to yourself?

Not wanting to catch pneumonia, I’d bundled up in two long-sleeve athletic tops, wrapped a wool scarf around my neck and covered my hands with gloves.

Arriving at the venue, I observed some participants wrapped in blankets, but then there were two ladies in tank tops.

OMG! What were they thinking, thought I, but they didn’t seem to feel the cold air like the rest of us ─ a sure sign they were alien visitors from another planet.

At any rate, though I actually never warmed up enough to take any of the layers off, this turned out to be a fun 5K ─ which, I realized is why I continue to do it. Once you get over the hurtle of getting up, getting dressed, getting out ... it’s just so much fun.

The 5K was advertised as we’d be chased by musicians playing music at us.

I really couldn’t envision how the organizers were going to manage that. Were the musicians going to hide behind bushes and jump out at us, as was done by scary looking people at the Zombie Run? Were they going to run after us and play while holding musical instruments?

It just didn’t seem possible, and it wasn’t.

The course was stationary student high school musicians, spirit teams, and a full student orchestra at the start/finish.

Worked for me.

My friend the Archeologist was there, along with her two little runners.

In posting the photo of the Archeologist, I noticed a telltale sign of just how cold I was. Let me know if you spot it. LOL.

Archeologist's son came in second in his age group but, sadly, the Archeologist had to drop out because daughter became ill.

I took my time around the course, yet still came in with a respectable 59:48, 2nd in the age group 75-99.

There was a spot for three wins in age group 75-99 ─ 1st place, 2nd place, 3rd place but, inasmuch as I was the oldest participant in that category (and there were only two participants registered in that grouping), there was no one to finish other than the first place finisher at 75 and myself.

As I’ve said before ... if I can’t beat ‘em, I can outlive ‘em. LOL.

So it was a two-medal win for me, my first ─ Finished and Placed.

There was one other 5K, I don’t recall which, when I finished 1st in my age group because I was the only one in that group. I didn’t realize that meant I was part of the medal ceremony, didn’t stick around and lost out on a Finish and Place for that one.

Now I know to hang around after, just in case.