Second to won

I dub the entire weekend 'Second to won' because every single event I was involved in, would have been an overall victory had it not been for the one that won!

Saturday agenda- 5k

There were 4 local events happening today. Unfortunately I couldn't do them all but by the grace of God, I did half-a double header!

1. jingle bell jog 5k
2. palm beach 5k
3. dare to care 5k
4. calvary chapel 5k

Even on a goood day, I never had success at event 1, so it was a no brainer to skip it. Traditionally, I do #2 then walk over to the expo to pick up the packets for the relay, but this is the year to do different stuff (I love inaugurals), so I took a gander at a couple of other new events. By passing on the 1st two, I was able to do the latter 2 because of different start times & proximity.

Dare to care 5k

Originally set for 7 am, my worst fear came to fruition-a delay of 15 minutes-due to inclement weather. My favorite runner, who wears a shirt that say 'yell, go art!', was at this event (he is known for doing distance races, particularly marathons). He said I'd probably win this race because he didn't see anyone he knew that could run faster than me. I quickly responded that there may be under cover runners (unknown athletes that can run fast);lo & behold, I was right! Some crosscountry kid blew me away with a 17 something time. Unbelievably, there was no one between him & I; a gigantic gap! Unfortunately, I had to keep going past the finish line & miss all the festivities of this race, including my award, in order to make it to the other.

Calvary chapel 5k

The biggest challenge was not the races themselves but the commute between them. I left from well known quiet waters park to an unknown location that required gps assistance. I got me there but was blocked off, so I had to quickly find the alternative entrance. When I arrived, I had less than ten minutes to register, put on my # & chip then get to the starting line. One unforeseen circumstance was the distance from parking to the 'athletes area'-nearly a quarter mile. Obviously, I forwent all normal preparation & had to take off a bit tight from the previous race & the ride over. Initially, I was barely in the top 20 but as the race progressed, I advanced to the top 5, out of master contention. By a twist of fate, the runner I was following went the wrong way & we were both motioned to reverse & go around. By a wing and a prayer, that allowed me to advance 1 position. Within the final mile, I got past 2 others and despite a worse time, I finished with the same position as the previous event; God is good. I later discovered there was no master title. Lots to eat for meat lovers, just snacks for the rest. Unfortunately, only medals no matter if overall or age group. Teammate Jon took the title.

Sunday agenda-marathon weekend

For each year the marathon of the palm beaches had a relay division, I have chosen to do that as my last team event of the year; this year was no different. However, unlike previous years, I was unable to sign up athletes in advance. I literally had to wait till the expo. All of my teammates of last year backed out for one reason or another & I had to replace them with new, unknown talent. Like a blind date, I didn't know what to expect but was aware I did not have the strongest team. I couldve wimped out & not compete because you cant get beat if you're not in it but that's not my style. I'll do like I've done all year & roll the dice and see what happens. I centered the team around a promise I made to rising star at the publix du series. I picked the one who organized the palm 100 team & a young woman who consistently makes the top 3, if not overall, in the womans division. For some reason, the former athlete did not respond but thankfully, the dad knew a coach who had a son who can run, but never more than 3-4 miles. When I met up with him, I told both kids (the girl was 13 & the boy, I think 16) that believe in giving people a chance. I really didnt know what any member could really do. I went with Male-female x2 format, shouldering the largest distance to the boy, followed by the 20 something woman, yours truly & the girl to anchor. The distances were laid out in miles as follows:7.5, 6.5, 7 & 5.2. I found out the anchor had an injury & was thankful to pull out of her pre-registered half to be on the team. Needless to say, all performed admirably & despite being underdogs, we defeated all but 1 team-the one sponsored by a company, like runners depot. While I congratulate both of my teammate Spencer & Louis, I was an unfair fight in that they were able the best by free entry offer to its athletes, while every one on my team paid royally ($75!). On top of that, they had only 1 female;I had 2. By the grace of God, this was the first year that the top 3 positions were honored, plus they gave out decent trophies to each member; Praise the Lord. We were second to won.