What Grinds My Gears

Did you know that Vermont is A LOT COLDER than Eastern PA this time of year? Sunday morning we woke up to find temperatures flirting with 40 degrees...not like 43 flirting with 40. Like 37 flirting with 40. This is alot different than our "Brr-it's 55 outside" mentality.

But we got up and left the hotel for our fun little "5K in Vermont" adventure. The race was to be a smaller race, on a self-described "fast-and-flat" course, and I realized that Vermont's standards to "fast-and-flat" are probably different than my standards. It was a flat course...there were some tiny bumps that you could feel, but nothing like "Woah". Ted finished the race in 25 minutes--I was 28 minutes--a PR for both of us. Dave got first in his age group--the kid who got second in his age group was 2 seconds behind him, so it must have been an interesting race to the finish.

I have run alot of 5Ks, an 8K, a few 10-milers, and a half marathon. Only a few of the 5Ks have I actually stuck around to watch the awards ceremony, and even fewer of them have I actually had the opportunity to participate in. But one observation I have learned is that those who receive "Overall Winner" prizes are typically exempt from age group category prizes...so if you are the overall male winner, you don't also get to collect a 1st place award in your age group.

This was not the case for this particular 5K. The overall male and female winners were some serious runners from New Hampshire--they knew each other, they were wearing matching uniforms, and I think they had a coach with them. And once they finished, they went on to run the course another two or three times before arriving back JUST IN TIME for the awards ceremony. They both set course records, and while I don't know his age, she was 24. So she fell in my age group (19-28) and received the 1st place award overall, as well as the 1st place award for the age group. There was the 2nd place winner, and the 3rd place.

And guess who came in 4th place (and with more than 4 people in my age group, how about that!). And guess whose gears are ground because in most races, she would have been able to walk up and proudly claim the 3rd place prize. Granted, the 3rd place prize was a Mountain Dew water bottle or something, but still--it's sheer principle. I think they got a certificate, too, and that certificate would have been proudly hung up where all could have seen it.

So Dave graciously suggested that he give me the tote bag he got for 1st (1st Place in the age groups received a tote bag, a fleece vest, and a T-shirt). He said that as a guy, he can't carry the tote bag, and that I would get more use out of it than he would. "And since you probably should have received a prize..." So I walked away with a sympathy prize from my gracious brother-in-law, but also with a fun experience of running a race in Vermont that doesn't happen every day.

And a personal best...that is worth celebrating, too!