• About

pscapp

~ Reading, Writing, Running & Rhythm

pscapp

Tag Archives: 5K

An Early Saturday Morning Where I Run a 5K

27 Tuesday Jul 2021

Posted by pscapp in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

5K, porta johns, Saturday mornings, women

The title sets up the piece pretty perfectly I must say so I’ll cut right to the chase.

Last Saturday morning I drive about 8 miles to a local retirement community where a local service club is holding a 5K race to benefit local charities. A good cause and it’s good weather and it’s really good to be racing again.

Racing is a relative term here as my racing days are well behind me but it’s nice to see runners of all ages out in the Saturday morning sunshine getting ready to do their best.

I’m standing in a porta potty line or as spell check would have you believe a sorta potty line which when you think about it these items are sorta potties and having been a participant in road races for many years these sorta ports have come a long way.

A quick digression but it’s worth it. One year I’m running the Philadelphia Marathon and somewhere around mile something there is a construction site somewhere along the route where the marathon organizers have placed a set of porta johns to keep a couple of hundred runners from doing their respective businesses on the street in someone’s neighborhood.

I come up on the johns where the lines are long. Someone has forced open a gate on the construction site fence liberating the site’s access to the portable toilets. Maybe it was a runner, maybe not. I’ll only say the extra seats came in handy.

I get in one of the lines where I watch people nervously checking their watches to see how much time they are losing while they stand in line waiting to do what they gotta do.

Me – It don’t matter. Ok, here’ s the point of my literary detour.

The lines as I have noted are long. There is a guy several spots ahead of me waiting to use said portable toilet. A woman announces to no one and every one in a voice loud enough for all around us to hear and she’s quite clear what her point is.

She says to the guy, “Do you have to pee because it that’s all you gotta do there’s a wall over there where you can relieve yourself.” ” We all have to sit down.” And sure enough there is a wall and it’s currently in use by about six men relieving themselves in public because this is a marathon and really no one cares.

There is a round of applause from the woman’s fellow women runners congratulating her on her foresight, her chutzpah and her balls.

I suppose we could all be cited for urinating in public but the only public in the area is us and we don’t care. We all gotta go.

I take the obvious hint, find a spot on the wall, do my business and I”m on my way. I should add the guy stepped out of line and took advantage of the wall too. And we’re both back to the marathon which is already in progress.

Back to the local 5K where I’m in line and a couple of hotshot college cross country runners call over to one of their friends who is in line ahead of me telling him to hurry up ( my sentiments exactly) because they are off on a 2 mile warm up ( which is not my sentiment exactly).

For me the 5K breaks down like this: Mile one -warm up, mile two – race or run faster and mile three – cool down.

The speedy boys do their warm up, smoke every one in the 5K and are later seen running a cool down mile or two making their 5K Saturday morning distance about 6 miles. Me – I only paid to run 3.1.

There is one guy who wins the 80+ plus division as he is 90 and is the only participant registered who ran between 80 and whatever the upper limit is as specified by the plus sign. He gets a nice hand as he picks up his medal.

I hang around to see the other award/age group/male/female winners and it’s a nice touch as the organizers decided to go four deep in every category.

It was an early Saturday morning where I ran a 5K.

Did This Ever Happen To You?

26 Sunday Oct 2014

Posted by pscapp in Uncategorized

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

5K, awards, geezer division, Running

I entered and ran a small local 5K yesterday.  Maybe 100 runners tops.  I figure that in a field that small I might have a good chance of placing in my age group – The Geezer Division.

As people started filtering towards the starting line I start sizing up my age group competition and I begin to like my chances.  It’s a good thing that betting isn’t allowed or encouraged.

Off we go and the pack flies away.  The local XC hotshots, the 12 year olds and the people tricked out in their latest marathon shirts, compression socks, expensive sunglasses and disguised jet packs all take off.  I hang back at the start and let the gang get away as I know that eventually some will disappear and some will fall back towards me.  I am lurking in their wake.

Some do fall back.  One guy encourages me to catch up with him and when I pass him I feel bad because I just keep on going and don’t see him until he finishes a few minutes behind me.  It’s a jungle out there.

On the second loop I smoke a couple of kids who went out way too fast what with youth prone to being impetuousness.  They are not my worry though.  I’m looking for silverbacks.

I spy a pair of runners a few hundred yards ahead and they are walking.  Good for me and I shift gears to make up for their obvious error.  Only I can’t seem to make up any ground.  Can they be walking faster than I am running?  They resume running and the gap remains.  I am momentarily crushed but I recover my mojo.

Soon the finish line comes into view and I truck down the chute to a respectable and surprising time.  Next stop – Awards !

Who doesn’t know what’s coming please raise your hands.

I said at the top I thought I might be able to place, kinda sneak in the back door but alas no wild card for me. I am shut out of the winners circle.  No gift certificate at the local yoga studio for me.  Same goes for the discount coupons at the coffee joint.  Nope.

However, big soft pretzels and chocolates are a soothing consolation prize.

Running has a very nice side benefit in that it helps keep us from taking ourselves too seriously.

If I had placed in my age group I wouldn’t have had any material for this post or a chance to step back and laugh at myself.  Or a free yoga lesson or a double large double mocha double decaf double whatever.

Keep runnin’ and laughin’ cause I am.

 

 

 

Perhaps An Alternate Title

30 Saturday Aug 2014

Posted by pscapp in Uncategorized

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

10K marathons, 5 miles, 5K, half, Running

A few days ago I posted a piece called ” The Running Store.”  Upon further review, as they say in the NFL, I think that the title is somewhat misleading and so I need to clear up any confusion.

The Running Store does not really sell running.  But maybe it does.

“I’d like to see some thing a 5K please.”  Or ” I need a couple of 5 milers and a 10 K.”

“Sure the 5k’s are in aisle 3 and the 10k’s are right next to them in aisle 4. I can put you in a nice little country 5 miler next weekend for a song.”

“The ultras – we keep those in the back under lock and key.  They’re not for everyone you know.”

” I think you’ll find this marathon bold and a little arrogant but with a touch of whimsy.  It’s got good crowd support and the finisher’s medal is a beauty.”

” This 10 miler is a nice little charity run.  It features some daunting hills.  It’s got a taste of fall but with an end of summer flavor.”

” If you are looking for a nice tidy distance I recommend this particular half.  It has everything you need in a half.  Hills, long flat straightaways and a nice trail section through the county park.  It’s big, it’s bold, it’s a city run with a small town heart. ”

” Jogging? Right over there.”

Maybe The Running Store does really sell running after all.  Doesn’t it?

 

Subscribe

  • Entries (RSS)
  • Comments (RSS)

Archives

  • May 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • February 2019
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013

Categories

  • running
  • Uncategorized

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in

Blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • pscapp
    • Join 192 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • pscapp
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar