On November 30 (my mom's birthday), I headed to downtown Racine for a small but well-organized 5K race. You can't expect comfortable temperatures this time of year, so I was thrilled that it was warm enough to keep the tights in the drawer.
A downhill start paved the way for a fast initial pace. After the dust had settled and I reach the 0.5-mile mark, I was in fifth place. As I slowly gained ground on the fourth place runner, I was surprised to see a runner pushing a stroller making significant gains on me. The stroller guy passed me and didn't even seem like he was pushing himself. I passed a runner soon after that, so I stayed in fifth place.
At the 1.5 mile mark, I passed by Lakeshore Towers, where my grandma lives. This is also where my parents and my kids were stationed. I waved to them as I ran by. At this point, stroller guy was in the lead, and I had moved up to fourth.
I wasn't getting that much faster, but I had the energy to overtake the third place runner with about a mile to go. I passed Lakeshore Towers again at the 2.5-mile mark, heading back to the finish line on Sam Johnson Parkway. In the last half mile, I solidified my position in third, allowing me to complete the uphill finish comfortably.
I finished in third place overall, setting a new personal best at 20:30. Because of the overall place, I did not qualify for an age group award. That's the first time this has ever happened.
The second place guy finished in 20:17. Could I have beat that? Probably not, but perhaps a super-mega-huge all-out effort could have done it. I don't think I ever could have caught the stroller guy. He finished in 20:02, but I think he could have gone faster if someone had pushed him.
What a GREAT day to set a personal best and earn a place on the podium.
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