TREASURE HUNT 5K

Well, my busted butt hurt a little, but I ran a 5K. Had to take short little strides because long or even regular ones stress my piriformis muscle, which isn't completely healed yet.

I took Journey! In these Shenandoah Valley Runner's Club Winter Series races, there are always dogs at the start and finish, and although I hadn't seen any of them actually running the race, and since I've seen jogging strollers in these runs, I decided to stick my neck out and try a dog. No one complained, everyone petted Journey, the finish-line guy yelled, "Come on, puppy, come on, puppy!" and she loved it. I started in the back on the left-hand side and stayed there till the crowd (about 160, I think) thinned out, so she wouldn't trip anyone. It was two loops around a field on a gravel path. At the end of the first loop, someone said, "You've got that dog worn out!" Yeah, right. Like halfway through a 5K, Journey's going to be tired, right. I got the same from a few people at the finish. Journey did not look worn out in the least, although she was thirsty. I tried to make her drink before we left home, but you can't make an unthirsty dog drink. She scarfed down a pint in the truck afterwards, though.

She cost me about a minute for a poop stop (which I cleaned up in a baggie and threw into a trash can, yes, I did.) My cautious pace cost me more. A large section between the loops was over grass and through mud, and that cost me more. But I wasn't racing, just getting back out there. Time: 33:40. Place? Don't know. Due to the drawing (below) they didn't do place announcements, just said check the website.

Everyone had to bring some kind of "white elephant" to give away, and along the course were randomly-placed cards with numbers on them. You picked up a number wherever you wanted to, and at the end, when your number was called, you got your pick of the loot on the table. There was nice stuff and dumb stuff. A birdhouse kit. Hickory-Farms-type cheese plates. Boxes of Russell Stovers. One of those "As Seen on TV" plunger things that's supposed to peel hardboiled eggs perfectly (I've heard it doesn't.) A bag of marshmallows. A twin-pack of paper towels. Mug-and-tea sets. Games.

There was a "The Stick" massager I had my eye on. But some teenage kid took it before my number was called. When I did get up there, I asked him if that was for sure what he was taking. He said, "Yeah," and then looked at it and said, "I'm not really sure what it is." I told him it was to roll along sore muscles, and he said, "Sweet!" and started rolling it on his quads. I asked if he was sure he wanted it, and he said he was... darn. But I got a nice LED booklight, the kind that clips onto your book so you can read in bed without your spouse complaining.

There was a book called, "The Mullet," which was, yes, all about the mullet haircut, its history and its heyday, lots of photos, cutting directions. I thought about getting that for Nancy :-) Someone actually chose it.

I contributed my swim paddles and pull buoy. No one took them :-)