Run for the Dogs 5K

Before I forget, my weigh-in this morning was a pleasant surprise. 160!

Now, onto the race report.

This was a fun event! The Run for the Dogs 5K was a benefit for the Heart of America Humane Society, so there were a lot of animal lovers there with their dogs. Held in the Lakewood area of Lee's Summit, Missouri, there was beautiful scenery, and we couldn't have asked for better weather- 50 degrees and overcast!

Angie and I milled around for a bit and picked up some fun freebie stuff from the various sponsors. We opted not to bring Buster (aka The Enchilada Thief) since he's not too friendly around other dogs. But, we were able to pick up some doggy toys for him. Right at this moment, he's happily nibbling away at a squeaky bone.

Anyway, the "starting gun" of the race was kind of a joke. They had us line up, and then about two seconds later some dude quietly said "ready set go." Everyone kind looked around, confused, and then started running.














I'd like to take this opportunity to call to your attention the fact that I'm wearing shorts. In public. This is huge, folks. Sure, I've worn shorts on my morning runs lately, but there really isn't anyone else on the road at that time of day. Here I am, with real live people all around me, and I'm in athletic shorts. The best part is, I wore them proudly. There wasn't even one bit of self-consciousness involved. What a great feeling!

So I ran. The new shoes were feeling good, the scenery was nice, and I felt strong. So, I pushed a little harder. Mistake. About halfway in, I started to get extremely winded and tired. Twice, I had to stop and walk for a few seconds. People started passing me. I don't like it when people pass me. I really need to learn to save my energy for the end, but that's harder to do than it sounds.

Overjoyed is not a strong enough word to describe how happy I was to see that finish line. If I'd had any energy left, I would have kicked harder, but there was zero left in the bank. Hell- I was overdrawn.














There was no clock at the finish line, and I don't wear a watch, so I had no idea what my time was. Angie told me I was the 7th female to cross the finish line, and I was in 28th place overall. Later on, I peeked at the results, and my time was 27:49! That's a minute faster than last week's race. Sweet!

After the 5K, there was a 1-mile walk that Angie participated in. I stayed by the food and waited for her. She was the 5th or 6th person to finish, which was awesome. She had a great time.

Then there were contests for the dogs, like Best Kisser, Best Costume, etc.














What a blast! We'll definitely be back next year.