no. 4

So last Saturday morning I ran my 3rd 5K. With Rebekah, Lydia and Joe. I was Joe's "buddy" and our finish time was 46.48. Not my personal best! It was a beautiful day, though, and we had a fun time. It got into the 70's last Saturday, but was still a little cool in the morning. A perfect day for the run!

Fast forward 7 days.

This morning I ran my 4th 5K. It was Bethel's Homecoming 5K. A bunch of students and alumni met at the SRC at 9 o'clock for a 3.1 mile run around campus.When I got there, I think it was 36*. Brrrr. Much colder than last week. Also, I didn't bring any kids with me.

Here are a few of my post-race reflections ::

• I must hate the cold even more than I hate running, because I ran this one in 33.04. My best time ever by a long shot.
• If it wasn't the cold, maybe it was my competitive nature :: trying to keep up with all those young college pups or something.
• Or maybe it wasn't really 5 whole Ks. (which is the thought that kept going through my mind after I got my time)
• That campus is somehow WAY more hilly than it was when I was 18! Ouch!
• There's nothing like trail-running along a lake in the glorious beauty of fall. What a beautiful campus -- I also don't remember it being that beautiful when I was 18 either.
• I nearly tripped and biffed it on my face because I was so distracted by thoughts of all the projects I could make when the route took us by a HUGE stack of pallets back behind the football field. So glad I didn't biff, that would have been almost as embarrassing as when I slipped and fell while the ENTIRE football team was walking toward me, returning from practice, when I was a freshman!
• Freshman hill still brings back fun memories.
• The campus has changed a lot in 20 years -- heck, the name has even changed. I went to Bethel College, but the kids I was running with go to Bethel University.
• I'm never very glad to be running, but I'm always glad to have run -- I like to think of it as a bit like childbirth. Once I'm done and have caught my breath, I don't remember it being quite as terrible as it was in the moment and I decide I'm glad I did it, even though it was tough . . .and then I decide I might as well just do it again (that in no way indicates that I am having another baby. Just in case you thought it might.)
• I shouldn't have put the race shirt they gave me on over the 3 layers I was already wearing. By the end I was too hot!
• Tomorrow is the Twin Cities marathon. I have a couple friends running it. That's like almost 9 5Ks one right after the other. Honestly, I don't know how they do that! I always say I don't even like to drive that far (since I am the kind of person who prefers to stay within walking distance of her house 95% of the time -- sometimes I do feel the need to go to IKEA, you know.) Best wishes, marathoners. I'm proud of you!