Today was the second time I was going to run the Stop, Drop and Run 5k down in Ocala. It was good last year, kind of small, but not crappy. I knew I'd be able to do it, and frankly, it's kind of hard to find 5ks in June in Florida!
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| Quiet sunrise drive to Ocala, FL |
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| This guy was on my porch to wish me good luck |
I drove down to Ocala as I normally do - in flip flops. As usual, I was running late and once I got to the DeLuca YMCA, it was busier than last year, so I had to park further away. I had the stupid idea of going to packet pickup before changing into my sneakers. DUMB! By the time I got to packet pickup and back, I was covered to mid-shin with little grass clippings, and I was soaked from the dew.
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| Ewwww! |
Geez! That was really stupid - I had to spend the next few minutes cleaning and drying my feet just so I could put on my shoes and socks. THEN I had to actually get ready for the race by pinning the bib and gearing up. I had no time to pee, and just barely enough time to get in line at the start.
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| At the start line, way in the back |
Within a minute of being at the start line, it was time to go. I decided to do my intervals of 2/1 until I got to the hill.
The hill is right around Mile 1, and I was doing good, feeling good, then I got passed by an old guy.
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| This is not the old guy - this is Douche Dude! More about him later.... |
I know, we should all be happy that runners come in all shapes, sizes and ages, but it damn sure gets my goat when a Grandpa passes me...
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| He was nice enough to say "hi" as he passed me, at least |
Once over the hill, we pass what I assume is "downtown"? We are near the county commissioner office, some big park and this really pretty Fallen Officer Memorial.
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| Very pretty |
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| I love this shot with the sun and the flags |
Before heading in to neighborhoods, there is the one and only water stop. However, this time there is ICE in the water. Oh, yeah! Ice water rocks!
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| You can't really see it, but thar's ICE in that thar cup! |
All through this race, there has been this one kid who, apparently, refuses to be beaten by a girl. Especially a middle-aged girl in a skirt. I would pass him, and then he'd come sprinting from behind me, snorting like a bull, until he got a hundred or so feet in front of me, and then he'd go back to walking and checking over his shoulder to see if I was getting closer. We repeated this annoying dance for 2 miles. Sure, maybe he was doing intervals. I could give him the benefit of the doubt, but every time he looked back, he seemed mad that I was getting closer.
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| Douche Dude in full gallop |
Mile 2 came and went, and we kept up with the Douche Dance.
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| Mile 2 |
I'm feeling pretty good at this point. I know I'm going very slow, but the heat and humidity is a BITCH today!
Near the end, "Mary Mac" by Off Kilter came on, so I decided that I would just run as much as I could. I finished pretty much the whole song, which is a win for me. (Of course, as soon as I slowed down, Douche Dude came sprinting by...)
Finally, though, we got near the school bus depot, and I could see the finish line. I knew I was close.
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| Yay! Mile 3 means I'm almost done! |
I finished with an official time of 51:25, by far my WORST 5k ever. It was so hot and sticky, I couldn't push myself very much at all. I came in 11th (out of 12) for my age group, and 217th out of 227 total runners.
I still got my finish line photo and stuck around for the awards, then made my way to the car to change (I love my a.n.a. maxi skirt from JCPenney's! So easy to change without needing a pottie).
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| Yes, those are my arms, making their debut appearance in a tank top! |
I headed to the mall and did a little shopping (why, yes, I did shop at JCP), and then had some lunch at Chick-fil-A (reload the protein!) and eventually made my way home.
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| Hello, Mr. Highway Patrol Officer. I'm not speeding... |
Ironically, at home later that afternoon when I was checking Facebook, someone posted this article on
Running in Humidity. I thought I'd share.
So, would I do this race a third time? Probably. It's a nice reliable race, with only one hill. I do wish they had more water stops (one stop in June with 100% humidity is really stupid and unsafe). Also, I want them to go back to tech tees - this year they had regular tees, and not a lot of good swag like last year. (Though I did get a few cool color-changing cups from Taylor College!)
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| When you fill it with cold stuff, it turns blue (makes lemonade look green) |
