Hot Time in the City......
The city of Covington, that is. There was no race in Macon on Saturday, April 24th, and the ?Covington YMCA Healthy and Happy Kids Day 1 Mile Fun Run and 5K Run/Walk? was at 3:00pm so we signed up for a family discount (4 runners for $40.00) and dropped it in the mail. Then we watched the Weather Channel in dismay as the forecast predicted temperatures in the 90s for that particular day!
The big day arrived, and it was a busy one. John had a State Qualifying meet that morning, and he was running the 3,200 meters. He qualified for the State in his meet, and after a light lunch we took off for the other race. The drive took a little over 90 minutes, and we arrived with time to spare. There were some festivities planned, with the local police and fire departments and other local organizations. The police had their DARE program Dodge DAREango on display, and there were several fire trucks also. There was music and also an aerobics instructor to warm up the crowd. The mercury kept climbing as we approached the 1 Mile Fun Run and one of the fire trucks set up about 200 yards from the finish chute and laid out one of its hoses. The 1 Milers took off and when they finished, they got a good cooling off.
Half an hour later the 5K lined up. It was about 90 degrees and there was very little shade. I was chatting with a woman who was going to attempt to run it with her daughter, despite at pack a day plus habit. I didn?t see her after the race, so I don?t think she finished!
We took off and I noticed that John was out in front from the start. The first mile wasn?t bad, and there was a slight breeze and also a little shade. Most of the runners took the shady side of the street, even if it wasn?t the same side that the turn was on. Mile 2 was about the same, with the option of shade and a fair breeze, but mile 3?? Well, the breeze died, there were no trees, and that last mile marker just wouldn?t appear. Then finally when it seemed like they had lost the 3 mile marker, there it was. Then we turned right into the fire hose, and got soaked. It felt ok, except now my dry-fit shirt weighed about 5 pounds. Two teenagers kicked past me in the last 0.1, but I didn?t think they would affect my age group place, so I'm ashamed to admit I just let them go.
I met back up with John and found that he had come in second overall, for 1st in his age group. I made 1st in the 45-49, and Kimberly took second in her age group.
The festivities continued, with free fruit and Propel while the supplies lasted, which wasn?t very long after the kids discovered it. The awards were a little different from the usual. The adults got plaques and the kids got trophies, which I thought showed some forethought. We had a good time, even if our times weren?t as good as they would have been in a morning race. For a small race it was well organized and the course was well marked and thought out. They had plenty of sponsors, and that makes a difference. I recommend this race if it comes around again, even if the name of it is almost as long as that doggone 3rd mile!
