Race report!

This morning was the Tim Brownlow Memorial Run at the Arcata Ballpark, where the Humboldt Crabs play ball. It was the only time this run will be held in honor of Tim Brownlow. He was a local runner who was killed in April after his UPS truck crashed during a rain storm. The run also served to raise money for his widow and two children.

I wasn't sure how many people would sign up, but was pleasantly surprised when we got there. I would guess about 300 people were there to run and walk. There were many others there to lend support to runners and Tim's family. It was a really, really nice event. They gave every runner a cool T-shirt made from breathable wicking fabric (not sure what the proper name is) that had a drawing of Tim Brownlow running on the front. And afterward there was a huge barbecue lunch and raffle.

They also had a table set up with pictures of Tim over the years. I got so overwhelmingly sad when I saw them. I didn't even know him, but just seeing what a vibrant man he was stuck with me. I felt so bad for his family. I had to step away from the table so I wouldn't cry.

My bib number was wicked awesome this time. The number 32. My age. How neat is that?? I couldn't have picked a better number. Actually, that number scored me some awesome running sunglasses during the raffle, as the organizers said that anyone whose age matched their bib number could pick a prize out of a box (I wasn't the only one, either). I was stoked, because I really needed some sunglasses for running. They are pretty!! :-)

Anyway, the run started at 10 a.m. A few minutes before, all the runners and walkers congregated on the field for a group picture. That was a nice touch. After a few more minutes, we lined up for the start, and we were off!!

The course was a two-lapper that took us up and down lots of hills. I mean, A LOT of hills. It was nothing like the flat race I had in June. It took me a while to get used to all of the uphill portions. I knew pretty early on that I wouldn't be getting a PR for three miles. But then I found out after the run was over that they actually extended the course to about 3.17 miles (per Garmin) because they wanted everyone to end up on the ball field again. When I heard that, I was excited because my time wasn't that bad after all. Even with all the hills!!

The second time around the course felt a little easier, as I knew where the hills were and had a better idea how to pace myself. I knew there were many people in front of me, but I could see there were TONS of people behind me. Granted, a lot of people walked and I didn't. But still, it was nice to know I was nowhere near last place. LOL!!

The really awesome thing about this race was that my mom and dad got to see me run, along with Tim and the kids. I am very glad they were able to share this race with me. It was nice knowing they were there to cheer me on as I crossed the finish line. :-)

The official stats are now up, and my dad said he'd email me the pictures they took with their camera (they had to head for home after the race. *sad*) I will post the pics when I can. But here are the official race stats.

Tim Brownlow Memorial Run:
***official stats***
Distance: 3.17 miles
Time: 32:58 (same as what my Garmin said!)
Pace: 10:24

Finished 97th out of 272
Finished seventh out of 22 in my age division (F 30-39 years)