This was the third 5k of my running career. It was the first 5k I ran without stopping. There was no water station, so that helped. A friend organized the race as a fundraiser for Los Barrios de Amarillo. Read More
The seasons are changing, so it was dark when I dressed for the race. I was looking forward to running in cooler temperatures for sure, but I did make sure to take a hoodie with me just in case. I ate my pre-short race breakfast of one-half Power Bar (yuck) and drank 8 oz. of sports drink on the way to the starting line.
This was my first Race for the Cure, so I was unprepared for the festive atmosphere. I could hear music and someone talking over a loudspeaker as I parked two blocks away. I got there about half an hour before the start time, and I was going to hang out in my car for awhile, but my curiosity got the better of me. I pinned on my race number and walked over to the Amarillo National Bank parking lot. They already had all the booths for the expo set up. There was a huge balloon arch at the start/finish line. A band was warming up and there were speakers everywhere with music already playing. It was pretty cool. Read More
Having survived 5k and one-mile races, I registered for the Mayor’s Two-Mile Race. Our mayor, when she got elected, made physical fitness a priority for Amarillo and so once a year she sponsors a race in Medical Center Park (and beyond). There is a two-mile race, a five-mile race and a half marathon. (That’s 13.1 miles, in case you’re not a runner.) I really was interested in the five-mile, but wasn’t sure I could run that far yet in race conditions…so yeah, the two-mile for me.
Early to bed, early to rise gets a runner to the starting line on time. The conditions were perfect: 60 degrees and foggy. I drove to the park whilst choking down half a Power Bar and 8 oz. of sports drink. (The perfect pre-run combination of protein, carbs and electrolytes, according to Runner’s World Magazine. And let me add that Power Bars taste like crap.) Arriving in plenty of time, I picked up my race number and complimentary t-shirt, then spent a little time walking briskly and jogging slowly to get warmed up before the start. Read More