Trotting with the possums

I got up before the songbirds Saturday to run the Possum Trot 10K in Roswell.
It's the 38th annual running of this race, which takes place near Chattahoochee Nature Center and runs along the Chattahoochee River. It was a 7 a.m. start and the roads close at 6 a.m., which meant I left my house at 5:45 a.m.
I wasn't sure I was ready for a 10K. I've really slacked off from running since my foot had been bothering me so much, but this was a nice flat course and Saturday morning turned out to be cool for June and lower humidity than we had been having.
Still, I ran what I like to think was the "possum division," slow and ugly. Even with it being such a flat course I came in at 1:24:31.
You know you are slow when the race photographer is no longer at the finish line taking photos when you come in for the finish! I'm not kidding. He wasn't there. He'd moved up to the stage, where the awards ceremony was taking place.
Yes, I came in AFTER the awards had started. No need to stick around that morning to see if I'd placed in my age group. I knew with certainty I had not.
Still, it was a great little tune-up for the Peachtree Road Race coming up July 4. I was a little nervous that I hadn't gotten much running in prior to the Peachtree and wasn't sure how I'd manage, but I feel fine now that it will be OK.
Thank goodness for muscle memory!
I think I'd like to do this race again next year. My goal will be to finish before the race photographer leaves!.
Trot on, possums!

Ticking off a trail race

I returned to the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers this year to run the Monastery 5K Run With the Monks.
I ran this race three years ago. The grounds are really lovely and this is a trail race. The first time I ran it, it had rained before the race, so the grounds were muddy. I remember race officials had put down hay along the route.
This year the route was dusty, and apparently, there was another difference: ticks.
As I walked up to get my race number, I was pointed toward bug spray "because the ticks have been bad this year." I just about drown myself in the spray! I sprayed my shoes twice, thinking I'd at least keep them from wanting to start up my body to begin with. I haven't found any now that the race is over, so I guess it worked!
I'd forgotten the giant hill from mile 1.5 to mile 2. Goodness!
Because it was a trail race, and a lot of it was shaded, it didn't feel too hot, even though this weekend has tied record heat. It got up to 96 degrees the day of the race, although it wasn't nearly that hot at race time.

On the grounds of Monastery of the Holy Spirit

One reason I wanted to run this race again was I was out of Abbey honey! The monastery has apiaries on the grounds and the monks sell local raw honey. It is delicious. I'm set for another couple of years!
I stuck around for the awards afterward. I didn't think I had won in my age group, but the awards were really nice engraved pint glasses, so I sure wanted to see if I had!
Sadly, I was a slowpoke on the trail run, so I did not garner a pint glass.
But at least I can say I ticked off this race. Ha!

Summertime running

I ran the annual Summeriest 5K Saturday morning.
It was hot and steamy, just as it usually is.
I ran this one by myself this year. No friends to join me this time. Still, it was fun. It was the first time I've run in about two weeks. While the respite meant my right heel felt better (until I finished the race, of course), my quads just ached for two days after the race. So, I regretted taking so much time off from running.
No worries, now. I'm signing up for several other races, and the big Peachtree Road Race 10K will be here soon.
Just in time for some summertime running.