I was still recovering from being sick all last week but I ran the Siena Heights University 5K Alumni Run in Adrian on Saturday. The Siena Alumni Run is part of Alumni Weekend at the university. Since Siena doesn't have football, I guess that would make Alumni Weekend our Homecoming.
It was a cold morning. It quit raining a couple of hours before the race, which was nice. I get to Siena and park in the Fieldhouse lot to walk to registration. I get in the Fieldhouse and walked to the pre-registration table. I recognized the woman taking names, it was the school's librarian, Melissa. When I was in college, she helped me find a lot of material for papers that I was writing at the time. I said my name and she looked at her sheet. My name wasn't there. I explained that I filled out my registration sheet and mailed my check Tuesday. I asked if she wanted me to pay, Melissa said she believed me and not to worry. She gave me my bib number and told me to get a T-shirt.
I went over to the T-shirt table and saw they were handing out the same shirts from last year. Not an issue, I liked last year's shirts. I asked for an extra large and the girl said that they didn't have any. She said the large's ran big. I took a large but I knew it would be too tight. I went back to my car to take off my windpants, coat, grab safety pins and throw my shirt in the passenger seat. To warm myself up I jogged back to the fieldhouse and went inside to stretch. The gym was a bit warm to me, but the other people in the gym were wearing sweatshirts and coats. I finished stretching and waited by the doors for Tim Bauer, Siena's Cross Country/Track coach, to tell the runners it was time to go.
At the start line, there were only a handful of non-ex-Siena Cross Country runners. There were kids of runners, parents of some runners and a 5k regular. We took our position at the start and we were off. It was a nice run down Hanke Lane of the fairgrounds, by the horsebarns and down Maple Avenue. On Maple Avenue, I knew that a few people were behind me. To that point no one threatened to pass me. At Broad and Maple, we turned down Broad and headed back to Siena Heights Drive. At this point someone was behind me. I could hear there footsteps. I never turned around to see who it was. But I knew that they were not going to pass me.
My mile and two mile splits were fast for me, but I knew the last mile would be the hardest - running uphill on Siena Heights Drive heading back to the Fieldhouse. Last year on the hill, I was passed by a runner. I hoped it wouldn't be the same this year. Every step I took I heard the steps behind me getting closer. I know I slowed on the hill, but I didn't get passed. I was so happy to see the crowd of workers telling me to turn right down the parking lot to the back door of the Fieldhouse. Once I got inside the gym I did tried my hardest to sprint, which at that point wasn't very fast. I heard Eric Clarke, owner of Running with E's, yelling for me to finish strong. I crossed the finish line in 32:28. Not my best time, but that is still a good time for being sick. I didn't turn around to see who was behind me, I just wanted a drink.
I grabbed my bottle of water and walked back into the gym to look at the board to see if I got a medal. About 5 minutes after the race, names were hung in the age groups. I saw my name was second in the 25-29 age group. While standing in the gym a man walked up to me and said, "I thought I was going to catch you on the hill." It was the same guy who passed me last year. Last year I was his pace maker. This year, he was mine.
All of the runners were called into the gym. Tim thanked everyone that ran and said that next year it will be called the Saints Run hoping to attract more runners. Then the medals were handed out. I received my silver medal and a handshake from Tim. The medals didn't come with a ribbon attached. Later that night, being the geek that I am, I went to Hobby Lobby to buy some ribbon. The medal is now hanging with my other medals in my work room. Since I started running 5k's I have received at least one medal a year. Right now I have 8. I hope to get one more this year.
Other then me still being sick, the weather was perfect to run Saturday. It was a little chilly, but otherwise a great day.
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