So, I won an entry into this 5k at work. It was timed just right for proving to myself that I could do a decent time in summer humidity. And it was going to be a fun run for me.
The activities were pretty awesome and one of the best things about the event was the opportunity to get a picture with the four Cleveland Indians mascots. Ketchup, mustard, onions and slider. 
It wasn’t a huge race. There were about 227 people running the 5k. It was my first 5k in… 13 or so years… and it was much smaller than my last one (race for the cure in Austin where it took 45 minutes to get to the STARTING line…
This race was a bunch of happy people out enjoying the kind of humid but it stopped raining kind of morning at the zoo.
Bear (way way far away in a light colored shirt facing this way in the picture below) was positioned perfectly to get a picture as I started. ❤ . My own photography section!
Here is a better picture of him, leaning on his rollator listening to whatever the guy talking was talking about. Where I was standing I couldn’t hear much more than mumbling.
The motivational signs were awesome. 
The bear wasn’t really so sure what the silly humans were doing…. but he was up for a good show.
Given that there are a half dozen golf carts in the zoo and that the tram wasn’t running… I thought maybe this sign was a bit over kill… 
This part of the race irritated the heck out of me… The girl in the blue t-shirt and oversized headsets just went from being behind me to trotting along a short cut to being in front of me. There was a lot of cheating in this race given the number of runners and the fact that it wasn’t going to actually gain anyone anything by cheating.
I caught up to her (and the guy in the gray) only to have them both take a short cut off course. Really really? Have you no integrity at all?? The lady in the purple shirt and I stayed pretty much together until after the big hill when she took off and I lost her.
Top of the big hill (which I totally beasted I might add) was the flower bed sign. I think it would be a pain to change every day… 
After the hill (up and back) OH LOOK… more cheating!!! Three of them this time. The course goes around to the left (it was an out and back so you went exactly the same way in reverse… except them.
Given that there are three medals to be had in every age group, I really hope this cheating didn’t earn them any bling… 
And there is my cheering section again…Bear… trying to get me crossing the finish line. I did 3.31 miles per my Map My Run in 38:46 clock time. My pace ended up being 12:26 (my time is steadily improving)
And here was Francisco Lindor of the Cleveland Indians. He was the sponsor of the race this year and he’s a really really nice kid. 
And here I am at the starting line. The shirt… xxl (which was incredibly awesome because the packet pickup people told me there was no way I needed one that big. THAT made my whole morning.
I finished 187 out of 227. I wonder what my actual place would have been had the jerks not cheated. I may have actually improved my standing if not my ultimate finish time.
All in all a fun race. I’m incredibly irked that so many people felt it necessary to cheat but I’m proud to say that I know that I did every step of the course and still came in at a time to be proud of.
Love and light
April
June 24 2018
A Figment Of Fitness 