I am not a short distance runner.  I just about mile two or so am getting into a groove.  I like the longer distances.  I love my seven or eight mile training runs.  I do not particularly like a 5K race.  I have, though – as of last night, run three of them.

My first race ever was a 5K.  I loved it.  It was not quite the same as the marathon I had been a spectator at a couple months prior but it was fun.  There were all ages and abilities which made me feel right at home as I was new to this whole idea.  Then, I ran a second 5K in winter.  It was frigid and hilly and, well, a challenge.  There were different ages and abilities but it was not as fun as that first one.

Last night I ran my third 5K.  This one was a cause race.  It benefit the Crime Victims’ Assistance Center, a non-profit that is near and dear to my heart.  Every entrant was to wear a red dress.  Have to say that my red Victoria’s Secret piece was minor compared to those in red full-length formal wear or the men in red dresses.  Yes, there will be photos at the end here.

The race was just less than a full 5K.  To get the extra three-tenths of a mile, runners would have had to go around the back parking lot at Maine-Endwell High School.  The school is in the middle of a huge capital project and the parking lot is a mess.  There is a hole that is big enough to lose a small car in so the race ended at 2.87 miles.

This race is not an easy race.  There is a hill that is about a mile long and no leveling off along it about a half mile into the course.  There are more hills after that also.  Good news is that it is a downhill finish to the school entrance.  I ran it well but slowed at the end to run with a young girl about 13 who was having trouble.  I just ran whatever speed she was running to help her get to the finish.

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