Best Looking Shoes In the Race!

As I was leaving yesterday's race, an older man commented that I had the best looking shoes in the race. I'm glad something looked good, because I didn't! I had started training, and a string of unusual time demands, bad weather, and laziness got me away from my plans. The good news was that as little as my training was, it was enough to get me through the 5K distance without walking.
My wife, son and I all ran in the 5K race. We ran with my sister-in-law, her two sons, and her brother. I am sorry to have to report that among our group, I finished last. My gun time put me at a 10:02 per mile, and I'd guess about 10 seconds less if I were to check chip time.
Before the race, I did some work as a volunteer, putting up some flags, filling water cups, moving sand bags (keeping an American flag from blowing down), and clipping chips from the 10K race held earlier. While clipping chips, two runners (both happened to be women) put their foot onto the rail and were twitching with muscle fatigue. I think it means they overdid by quite a bit, but they seemed otherwise OK.
So, the aftermath of the race and goal evaluation put me here: my wife beat me (a goal not met), but I ran every step of the 5K (a goal met). My reaction is that I did OK, but not quite what I should have.

Challenges Of Registration

I thought I had signed up for a summer course last week, but apparently, I had not. Anyway, as I went to check me schedule on Monday, I found NO courses. So, on checking, I found that I apparently had not registered.
Fortunately, there was space available in the course. I tried to sign up. No Luck! I was on hold because of health services. I went over there to get details, and I must prove that I have been immunized for MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella). They took me off hold to permit registration, but I must address this.
So, once again, I tried to register. I couldn't! Why not? I had taken six credits last semester. I am taking undergraduate courses with the intent of a second B.A., but since I have a degree, I am considered a graduate student. Thus, the twelve credit undergrad limit does not apply. I had to visit the graduate office to have that limit waived.
Ain't bureaucracy fun?

Questionable Behavior

In my town, there is a market with a difficult parking lot. Space is at a premium, and it's often necessary to wait for a space (though you can often get a space immediately for a quarter in the municipal lot next door - and it's often closer!). Yesterday, as I entered that lot, a car was standing at the end of the lot. I began to move around it in order to take a space. As I started to do this the car first began to roll to the left to block me, then chirped its tires as it accelerated hard for the space that was open directly in front of it. The car appeared to have been waiting for the car one space closer (about 8 feet) to the store to pull out so she cuold take that space. My actions seemed to have prompted her to accept the space directly in front of her in order to "protect her territory". I was then able to pull up and park easily, and the two or three cars behind me were also freed from their entrapment. As I walked from my newly parked car, I overheard women, with small children, I passed talking about how wrong her driving seemed to them. I have needed to work hard not to use expletives in describing this driver, but I think she deserved them.

Fighting The Battle

This morning, I ran 3 laps of the local park, that's 2.4 miles. Alas, due to the need to visit "the facilities", it was not continuous. Still, it was more than I've run in months. My goal race is now less than 3 weeks away, when I will run a big 5K here in NJ. My goal - beat my wife. (THAT SURE LOOKS BAD IN BLACK AND WHITE!) She ran a 30 flat 5K yesterday, while my son, who seems to be the unbeatable one right now amongst the family ran in the low 26's. If all goes well, I will be in shape to hold off the Mrs., but I doubt that I can turn the 8:40's to be close to my son. Oh well, so be it.

I also ran 1.6 miles last Friday (giving just two runs for the week).

Racing For The Cure

My wife is a trainer. The gym where she works ran in the local Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure. My son, who's nine, joined her team. He ran a solid race, posting a 26:27 (and comfortably beating my wife's 30:00). What I found a bit remarkable was that he was the first finisher from the gym, including a fair number of other trainers. I am quite proud of his performance.

I was not there to see it, having spent the day coaching a very small group of my athletes at a track meet. Since things were well in hand, when a call went out for judges for the Turbo Jav (the form of javelin that kids throw today), I volunteered. Along with getting a bit of sunburn, I had a nice time.

Finally, Running Chick posted a link to a great sportsmanship story. She said it's worth a read, I concur.