The Three Cs

6. Participate in a 5K/10K… and a 1/2 marathon.

This past Saturday I ran in the Vinings Downhill 5K http://www.viningsdownhill5k.com/ - which surprisingly had a good many UPHILLS.  With a name like that, who knew?  After running 3.1, I then walked between 2-3 more with my friends Amy and Jill to get back to where t-shirts and cars were to be found.  Whew.  I basically put in another 10K in the same week as the Labor Day 10K classic, but only got credit for 5K!  But it was a fun race and I really enjoyed having two great friends to meet up with after the race!  "AFTER" being the key word there, because we started together but immediately they disappeared and I never saw a streak of them again after that!  Go Jill and Amy!!  It is so much more fun with a friend.

Here is my hard earned wisdom on participating in races.  I realized it this week.  Let's call these The Three Cs.  I totally made this up, but I think it really has a lot of truth to it!  All Three of the Cs will affect your time in a race, especially for an amateur like me!

1.  COURSE - Believe me, a flat smooth course makes a big difference over downhills and obviously uphills.  After running two hilly courses this week, I have never been more sure!
2.  CLIMATE - I felt great after the 10K last week - and a lot of this had to do with the weather.  It was a wonderful temperature and the day was amazing.  But the 5K started with a little warmer temps and a lot of humidity.  My friend Amy remarked after the race she felt more drippy wet than at the Peachtree in July!  I felt the same.  It really made a difference in how I felt!
3.  CROWD - This week's race was smaller than the last few I've done, which was so very nice, but people were super serious about running those downhills - and some of them (just some, mind you)weren't running too smart!  "Work smarter, not harder" was obviously not on the forefront of some minds.  There are basic running manners, let's say, common courtesy - like not running over people with your stroller (or dog), getting to the right if you are slower, not shoving, not cutting and making someone fall - you get the picture.  I actually ssssslllllllllooooooooowwwwwwed way down in the beginning to let some people get on out of the way.

So, if you are thinking about running or walking in a race - consider the Course, the Climate, and the Crowd.  Be smart and use your good exercise manners, just like you would everywhere else.  It makes it more fun and safe for everyone.  This was a good race and soooo close to me - I loved doing it!  Thanks to all those who organized it and put together a fun event! 

The next race I'm scheduled to run in is not until October 30.  Anyone want to join me?  It is called Run Like Hell and it is held at (and benefits) Historic Oakland Cemetery http://www.oaklandcemetery.com/run.html.  I ran this race last year in the POURING RAIN on Halloween morning, and it is a really, really fun one.  If you can go too, please let me know!