5K

I headed down to Riverton/Bluffdale this morning to run the 5K I had signed up for.  It was a perfect morning for a run.  70 degrees and overcast.  The trail would be following the Jordan River Parkway.  Lots of nice scenery to look at as I ran past.  Not to mention lots of gnats!

I've been training for the last few weeks at the high school track down the street.  So I had a general feeling for how long it would take me.  My fake goal (this is the goal I said out loud) was to finish in less than 35 minutes.  My actual goal (the one I kept locked up in my head, so if I failed, no one but me would know) was 33 minutes.

So there I am, running my little heart out.  There is a mother and a teenage daughter in front of me, and I keep thinking, "Man, I would really like to pass them."  But in front of me they stayed.  This race was the kind where you get to a half way point, and then turn around an run back the same way.  So shortly after I pass the "1 mile" sign, I see the future winner of the race headed back in my direction.  Yikes, I better hurry up.  Before long, I make it to the turn around, and then I was able to smile my encouragement to all those who were still going in the opposite direction.  Meanwhile I'm thinking to myself, "Good, at least I'm not in last place."  And then I finally got to pass the mom and daughter in front of me.  Yee Ha!

At last I see the finish line, and I run as fast as I can.  Todd was off to the side with Emily and Ryan, and I hear Emily  saying "Go Go Go!"  As I cross the finish line, I look at the time clock and it says 31:00.  I was so excited.  I blew my "fake" goal out of the water, and even beat my "real" goal.  I can see how this could get to be addicting.  There is another 5K race next weekend, and I'm tempted to enter, just to see if I can beat my time.  Hmmm...  Will have to give that some thought, if I can move tomorrow morning.  And if my face ever returns to it's normal color, instead of being "tomato red."

I wonder how many gnats I swallowed?