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Surprise Track meet (and Balloons!)

As I posted last week, I'm getting that itch to get out there and train again.  That also means jumping in races whenever I can to keep motivated and, you know, for fun.  This weekend's race wasn't on the calendar that I posted last week, but someone had posted it in the SARL Facebook group and xq no?  What I wasn't expecting was a track meet.
I knew the race was starting at San Angelo stadium, but I thought that the course would likely be running through the ASU campus.  Sounds nice, right?  I showed up and was a bit confused at all the little kids running around in track singlets.  When I say "little kids," I mean there was a U-6 division.
 Have you ever seen 5 year olds doing the long jump?  Just about the cutest thing you'll ever see. anyway
Still confused, I checked in and was told there was no charge for me to get into the track meet.  I guess that's good, right.  Once inside, I registered and asked where we'd be starting.  When the women pointed to some people on the track, I finally got it.  ooohhhhhh we're going to run in circles for 12.5 laps.  I get it meow.  We were going to be the first event in a track meet for kids.  I guess the local Lions club piggy backed on it to have their annual 1k and 5k race.
I've done PT tests and speed work on the track, but never a race.  Might as well give it a shot, eh?
view from the top

 The race was fairly small, only 44 runners, and there was what appeared to be a middle school cross country team and their coach there.  Time Clock Plus also had a contingent there but no one else from Team RWB or SARL regulars.
(photo credit San Angelo Lions)

gotta make sure that Garmin is accurate (Photo credit San Angelo Lions)

(Photo credit San Angelo Lions)

Because it was on the track, things got congested over the first lap but spread out after that.  It was a warm (lower 80s) and windy morning and that affected my running.  My goal was 23:30, but as I'm just trying to get back in shape, the goal was somewhat arbitrary.
Running on the track wasn't quite as fun as a road or trail race, but it wasn't bad.  I got lapped fairly quickly, the leader ran the first mile in roughly 5:45 and passed me shortly afterward.  The star of the race was a little 12 year old girl. She lapped me for a second time while sprinting to the finish against a high school boy, both of them finishing around 19:15.  If I caught her name correctly, it's Irma Salas, the same little girl that took 3rd over all at the Pink Ribbon Run last year. (putting her at #9 in the San Angelo 5k rankings and 1st in her age group)
she's the fastest kid alive (Photo credit San Angelo Lions)
 I didn't catch the winner's name, otherwise he'd be high up on the list too.  Maybe I'll see him again soon.
(photo credit San Angelo Lions)
This was fairly early on (photo credit San Angelo Lions)
I misled you guys a little bit with the title.  Well, that's because I got tricked too.  By the weather, at least.  I went back at night to volunteer and see the hot air balloons.  Only, there were high winds and no hot air balloons.  This was the only balloon I saw in the sky that night.

It's the slightly darker circle in the middle of the clouds
The awards for the race were interesting, to say the least.  They had top male and female over all and then the top 2 in each age group.  Age groups were 0-29, 30-45, and 46+.  The women I was around were very surprised to find that the age groups were only that, age and not gender.
medal winners (Photo credit San Angelo Lions)

When your wife asks what you're up to
post race


23:23 finish time, so I'm happy with it.  Not happy with my miles getting slower.  8th place out of 44 I think

It was fun/different to run a track race.  I'm glad it was for The Lions, a club that my grandparents were a part of.  Later that night, I volunteered at the bounce house area of BalloonFest.  Even though there were no hot air balloons, plenty of parents brought their children out to jump around.
 The balloons did go up early Sunday morning. I just wasn't feeling like waking up before 7 to go see them.  Instead, I slept in til 8 and went on a run through an area just south of downtown, maybe my favorite place to run here.  The roads are wide and there's actual shade to be found!



el Rio Concho

never knew the name of this bridge


How did your weekend runs go?
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