*
A few weeks ago I ran a 5 mile training run on a Saturday morning and then a 5K the next day and my ankle let me know for the next week that that was not acceptable. So when I saw the Home Team Charity Run 10K coming up on my calendar for this Sunday and an 8 mile run on the training schedule, I knew there was nothing for it but to wake up really early on Friday morning and do my 8 miles then. It turned out to be a cold and rainy day on Friday, which was icky, but also always makes me feel really hard core if I run at all.
It seems to have worked, taking a day off, because I ran the 10K this morning in under 60 minutes. A sub-30 minute 5K feels pretty new in my world, and this was two of those back-to-back.
The run is a joint program between the charities of the Bulls, Blackhawks, and White Sox and takes place down in Bridgeport and finishes on (the side of the field) at US Cellular Field (we ran on the gravel around the actual diamond and there were tons of volunteers whose job it was to say "keep off the grass, please!"). The route was an interesting mix of businesses, residential and light industrial--the mariachi band playing in front of giant concrete blocks really amused Shaun.
Afterwards we got to meet Southpaw, Tommy Hawk, and Benny the Bull. Benny was kind of spastic and wouldn't take a picture with Shaun because he was too busy assaulting young ladies and jumping into the Dunkin Donuts truck through the serving window. Southpaw was nothing but a gentleman.
My official results:
Time: 59:05
Pace: 9:31
Overall place: 520 / 958
Place in sex: 321 / 482
Place in division (M, 40-44): 44 / 65
* So grateful to Shaun for reminding me to zip up my shirt before taking this photo so I wouldn't look too much like a hobo.
