A Beautiful Day For A Gentle Run!

Today was my gentle re-entry to running 5k's!  I have been looking forward to this run so much~and my curiosity was spinning my mind into overdrive, wondering what my foot would think of it all.

Backing up a bit, I came way too close to making us show up 24 hours too early.  I just thought the 28th was a Saturday, and didn't even pay close enough attention to catch that minor detail.  We had all our stuff set out Friday night, ready for the next day.  Brad went to pick up Alex at 10:45 at a friend's house, and mentioned that we were running in this event Saturday morning.  They told him they were running in it too, but were pretty sure it was on Sunday.  Sure enough.  Can you even imagine my disgust if I had pulled into that park and there was no one to be found?!  I would not have easily lived that one down...

Anyway, this was not a true 5K, only a 6-mile relay that was split into 4 sections.  So Brad and I each ran only 3 miles, and we traded off after each 1.5 miles.  It was such a beautiful sunny day, too!  Crisp but not cold.  Lovely, lovely Spring-ish weather.  Beautiful course, great small-town-feeling to the event.  Our times were fine: a comfortable 49.30.  And, best of all...no foot pain!!  Or knee pain!!  Or (for Brad) rib pain!!  For this event, they put you in a category based on your combined age: for us, a very humbling 79!  So I figure we did pretty well when you consider we were 79 today and newly recovered from a combined foot/rib fracture!  

Alex and his buddy, Wes, also ran today and did great.  Alex has not been running at all, and that turkey beat me in our first leg!  He and Wes each won a mug for the 2nd place male/male team from the same high school!  I'm proud of him, and also take a wee bit of pleasure in the fact that he is a bit sore this evening and I'm not.

Fun morning, great to be back at it.  The next test is in less than 2 weeks, a true 5K with no break at the half-way point.  I can do further than that on the treadmill, but outside can be so different...so we'll see.  Brad and I have decided to actually run it together from start to finish for the first time.  A treat?  A test?  We shall see!

a little pre-run stretching

and we're off!

happy feet!

Alex & Wes making their first exchange

Brad's turn...

mmm-hmm

so happy to be done!