3 5K races in just over 60 hours - I'm still not on the DL

Earlier this year, I decided to run 3 5K races within just over 60 hours: One on Thursday night, one yesterday morning, and one today. Crazy, yes. But I accomplished many things, on personal, athletic, but especially charitable levels.

Thursday night was the Run for Julia, a charity run for a foundation created in memory of Julia Campbell, who was tragically killed in the Philippines while working in the Peace Corps. For me, this was strictly for charity. While I did not know her, I was touched when I learned about what she was doing with the Peace Corps, and very saddened to hear about her death. I wanted to at least be able to contribute to the foundation via a registration fee, and was able to do so via the run. We all can do a little more to help others, I hope the small amount of $$$$ I was able to give helps build the foundation. My time in this race is quite frankly irrelevant, even if I mention it later in the context of the next race.

Saturday I ran a race called the Spring 5K at Hains Point in DC. I didn't realize how big East Potomac Park actually was. I thought I was going to be late because I drove a couple miles after getting off the highway, I thought it would be about 1000 feet. The run itself, I surprised myself again. I thought I was sucking wind even more than in my first 5K back in March, but ended up running a personal best: estimated time from start line to crossing the sensor at the finish was 24:44, my second sub 8 minute a mile race. Thursday was the first as I clocked in at 24:58. What was great about Saturday was I thought I was sucking wind even more over the last mile than I thought I did in my first race.

This morning I ran in the George Washington Parkway Classic 5K, the only race that I know of that has permission to run down the parkway from the Mount Vernon Estate (great place for an afternoon visit, BTW) into Old Town Alexandria. I knew this would be my slowest run of the weekend for various reasons. I was tired from the last week or so, there's more uphill running on this course than in many I've raced, and my best times in my limited 5K and 10K career have happened in smaller races, not ones with thousands of people like this one. My good old, $10 watch bought at Burlington Coat Factory While Looking For Something else, race time starts when I cross the start line, state of the wannabe art timing system gave me a time of 26:15, which put me 154th out of 877 5K participants. Except for one thing, as of 8:45 pm I did not officially run the race since I am not on the printed, tabulated from the timing chip, results. I may find out otherwise tomorrow as I'm sure more than 877 people out of over 20,000 ran the 5K with me.

Note: The official results have under 3000 people running the 10K, so now I know neither list is complete.

I'll rest........on Wednesday or Friday. Not injured, not on any DL, just tired.

Personal Bests:
5K Time: 24:44
8K Time: 45:06
10K Time: 51:36 (approximate)