Alpine Days 2015

Last Saturday was the Alpine Days 5K.  I haven't done this one in a couple of years, but it's a favorite because it's nice and inexpensive, and it's close (now closer than ever) and it's a fun course.  Well, apparently starting last year they changed the course, but I actually think I liked it even better than the one before.  I don't know if it's because the last organized run I did was much longer, but these three miles just seemed to fly by, even with the gradual but steady uphill for the first half.

Anyway, they upped their game this year in other ways too, like offering shirts for the first time (and nice ones too!) for a few dollars more.  They still don't have the best post-race treats ever, and the awards take WAY too long to hand out (you don't have to wait in between every single person and shake their hand and get their life story before going on with the other placements in the same division), and I still think they'll be just fine if they start at 7:30 or even 8 -- it was a nice morning but the sun didn't even come up until we were all well and finished, and I could even see my breath! -- but all in all I like it just fine.

We had a good family turnout this year, just a bunch of guys and Mom this time.  I did all right -- 23:00, about 7:23/mile, placed 5th in my division.  I don't know what it is about running, sometimes it's amazing and I feel like I'm flying and sometimes I feel like I'm dragging my buck-seventy-eight through mud.  I don't know how else to explain that my pace seemed (and was) so much better when I ran 13 miles a month ago than it was when I ran 3 miles a few days ago.

Anyway, enough of that, it was fun and here's the group!  Yay for inexpensive, fun races.

The kids did the Toddler Trot after, which was fun and resulted in ribbons and lollipops all around.