It was a busy weekend that started with the
Howell Melon 5k Run on Friday night, blueberry picking early on Saturday morning that morphed into jam and buckle making by afternoon, and then another race at the
Montrose Blueberry Festival 5 Mile run. Apparently I can't handle race peer pressure, because I probably wouldn't have run half of the races I did this summer if one of my racing partners wasn't so insistent that I pick him up to go to such and such a race. My other racing partner is a little more laid back about the whole thing and doesn't ever guilt me into an insanely early morning so I can run my heart out (thanks Mary!).
I'm thinking I should start a new job as a race reviewer, you know the kind of person that writes about how well organized the event is, if the post-race refreshments are worth my $20-$30, the quality and design of the t-shirts, if there are an appropriate number of rest rooms for the nervous runners, if the awards have any practical use besides getting the kids all excited that mom got a medal. Oh, and most importantly, if the race course was a good one.
The Howell Melon Run qualifies for excellent in all categories except for the rest room area. They had 5 toilets for over 250 women and that left me squatting in front of over 500 people just before the race began. The course was great: part off-road, lots of hills, half of it through a cemetery, view of the lake for portions. Post race food: Melon ice cream, need I say more? (And there was more, like cut up melon chucks and tasty bread.) Very well organized and entertaining with awards relatively soon after the results were in. The t-shirt above speaks for itself and as you can see the awards were very useful and although I should have a frothy Guinness in there I opted for a berry yogurt smoothie instead.
Poor Montrose Blueberry Race. They appeared well-organized but so does my husband if you don't know him. The race started late, the course was boring with no one was calling out splits at any point during the race, they didn't have a 4 mile marker, they passed out water in 3 oz. dixie cups-the ones that fall apart in your hand and at one of the water stations you actually had to cross the two lane road (which was not closed off on the other side) to get to get to your 3oz's of water. The t-shirts are okay but were supposed to be gray with a "cool new logo". The race was timed with chips, chips that the registration people forgot to mention to everyone so some people were at the start with no chip on their shoe. Post race refreshments consisted of water, bananas, apples and popsicles. Hello, us runners like to eat, that is why we run! And if all of that wasn't bad enough the timing system had some difficulties so the results were still not posted at over 3 hours post race. So just imagine what my 3rd place age-group finish would have earned me and envision it in the other corner of my shirt. Truly, I'm scared to even think about what the possibilities might be.
And I especially love the fact that my striped beanie matches it perfectly:
I totally plan to visit next year, maybe hang out around the elite runner check-in table and introduce myself to some of those Kenyan runners. Maybe I'll even try a Krispy Kreme out on the course instead of my Luna Moons.
