I've missed races due to weather, to be sure. One time it snowed here in Atlanta and I couldn't get out of my driveway, but the race went on as planned.
I've had to bow out of two races, one because I was in a car accident in 2002 and ended up in the ER with a suspected broken leg. (Thankfully, it was just badly bruised, but that put the brakes on the race). I bowed out of a half marathon when I was suffering a pretty severe running injury.
But I've never had a race canceled on me.
This morning was supposed to be the Atlanta Women's 5K, put on my the Atlanta Track Club. I ran this race for the first time last year, instead of the Tour deCatur, which I also like. But the Atlanta Women's 5K won out because of the fitted technical T-shirt, and I signed up for this one back in January.
Too bad Mother Nature didn't cooperate today.
I woke up to rain. That's not enough to dissuade me, although without the proper foul weather running gear, it makes a 5K unpleasant.
But as I got to the race, it was raining buckets, and there was lightning and thunder. Despite the weather, I had a hard time finding a place to park, because there were many like-minded hearty souls out there with me.
My friends Erin and Angela both showed up!
Erin and I found each other first, and took shelter under a tarp that was protecting the speakers, meant to announce race directions to us runners.
Me and Erin taking shelter under a tarp
As Erin and I waited under the tarp, we were joined by some other women, who followed our lead, because they saw our feet. :)
Some new found friends
Me, Erin and Angela trying to keep dry
Erin and I found Angela, and we sought shelter under a sponsor's tent.
Then we heard the announcement that the race was canceled. I was disappointed, but only slightly. I had family from Minnesota in town waiting at my house, so I got home in a hurry.
Now, my Minnesota family arrived late Thursday and Friday we spent the late morning at Fernbank Museum of Natural History in Atlanta. My nephews Gavin and Chase LOVED the dinosaurs.
Gavin and Chase at Fernbank Museum
But they REALLY loved my cat Pollock.
These boys are my brother's children and my brother is allergic to animals, so the boys don't have any pets except fish in their house. They loved Pollock, who was really a good sport around the boys. She let them pet her and love her and be very excited around her.
I'm so happy that Pollock was so good with them. She even came out of the safe bedroom to sit with them in the living room to be petted.
Pollock getting some good lovin' from Chase and Gavin
Yet there was a part of me that really missed Minnie this weekend. Minnie would have demanded attention from the boys. She would have completely been all over them and loved the attention she got. More than once I told my brother the cat who would have loved having the boys in the house was the cat who died.
The whole family left shortly after breakfast this morning. The rain tapered off as we ate at a local restaurant, so at least they had pretty good weather to their next destination in South Carolina, as they continue their "friends and family spring break tour."
The grand irony of the morning? The Tour deCatur was held, despite the bad weather. Me and my family saw the runners as we were trying to get to a restaurant this morning for breakfast.
I did learn a few things today.
First, I really need to invest in some foul-weather running gear.
Second, a 13-gallon trash bag is really too small to try to run in. A leaf and yard trash bag would have been the better choice.
Third, once you step in a deep puddle and get your whole foot wet, you'll never feel warm until you get home and get in a hot shower.
So, only the Atlanta Women's 5K was a wash out. The time spent with my distant family was anything but.
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