Hartford's Inaugural 5k, part the second

The Monday before the event the class and I ran what I intended to be the course for the event. Math told me that the start and finish of the out and back would line right up, and so would the 1k/4k marks. TOPOGRAPHY, however, made it so that they didn't. The road is twisty...whoops.

So the day of the event I hopped in the vehicle with my Mom and we re-measured the course, hoping desperately that the place i wanted to start and place i wanted to finish would be a good 'fit' with the place i wanted to turn around. (ya still with me?)

I think it did, within maybe 30 meters? but hey! free event, right? Next year's course will be measured MUCH more accurately. I swear. I had gotten to the parking lot without my chalk, so I called and Mom brought it down. Little did she know, she brought the same colors that are used by another little known race held annualy in Boston....

As people were milling around the registration tent, we took the opportunity to snap this picture of our "team". Here are 6 of the 9 members of the class. One had to leave early for personal reasons, one left early because of an injury (not sustained during the classes), and one was on a scheduled vacation. Why am I not standing up straight? I dunno. I am very happy to say that all of them crossed the finish line with big smiles! I'd post the pictures, but haven't gotten their permission yet.....ahahahahahha....so this is all you get for now.

(Back to race day) After the safety brief we all walked up to the start line as a group. There was a young boy talking with his mom, saying that he wasn't sure if he could do it. I said to him, "Man, you've GOT this. 5k is nothing for you! OWN IT." (he did. he ran his little legs off and finished in great form!) We all milled around the start line, making sure traffic was clear, and people were still running up from the registration table, having arrived a bit late...

During the safety brief I told everyone that there wouldn't be a starting gun, just my big mouth yelling "GO". I made sure they were all paying attention and yelled...."GO". They went. Of course, not everyone was paying attention. As you can see, several people started to run on the WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD. We yelled out to them and they promptly moved over. See my Mom in the mauve-ish tank top on the left? The person carrying the pack is my sister, carting around her 2 year old and 2L of water. She's training for an upcoming Army event where she'll have to carry a 35lb ruck sack over some un-Godly distance in heat that would make Mephostopheles ask for an extra serving of swee'tea.  They acted as sweepers on the course, keeping in communication with my Dad at the turn around and me at the finish line. Worked out GREAT!

The first finisher crossed the line in 23:47, the second in 24:13. The second place person was a young woman, and she was upset that she had come in second. I said, "No, you came in first." With a smile she replied, "yea, i LIKE that...."

My sweepers crossed in 51:53. What does this mean? It means that EVERYONE finished in under an hour. I was super psyched! From a personal POV, the ladies who i coached through the summer, the same ones who at the beginning of the summer struggled with 3 consecutive laps of a football field, FINISHED a 5k in less than an hour. I am very happy for these ladies!!!!

In a few posts, I'll write about the whole organization process, lessons learned, and aspirations for next year's event. I already have an inkling that next year's is gonna be much bigger!

Thanks for stopping by again!

Be Well,

Gene