Armadillo Dash 5K Recap!

On Sunday, I ran the Armadillo Dash 5K for the third time (last year I ran the half marathon).  I have great affection for this race because it was the second-ever 5K that I ran, back in 2010.  The organizers have improved logistics each year; parking was easy and the race even started on time.  The only thing that could have been better (besides my massive unpreparedness to actually run) would have been the weather, but of course that is out of their control.

The weather.  Oh Texas...your weather is just SO special.  Thunderstorms were forecast for race day.  As it turned out, it was 68 degrees with 100% humidity when we started running.  Nothing like slogging through thick, wet air.  It rained a little before the race began, but Amy and I put on visors and the rain stopped, so we kept them on for insurance.  Hey, it worked for us, but the half marathoners, who were on the course for a lot longer, got blasted with heavy rain after a while.  At least the thunder and lightening held off - I can't imagine being out in the open if that had happened.  Scary and dangerous, to say the least.

It started raining before the race began so we put on the visors and boom - ran stopped.  This picture cracks me up because Amy and I look pretty pleased with our visor/rain stoppage powers!

Like I said, I went into this race not having run for a week, and being really light on the miles even before that.  I pretty much had zero expectations except that I knew I'd finish.  Amy and I started out the race running 3:1 intervals with Cary (our runner/knitter friend), and between the weather and my un-conditioning, it was a challenge.  At the two mile mark I switched up the intervals to 1:1 and felt a lot better - looking back, I probably should have started out with that and then switched to the 3:1 intervals - or not, depending on how I was feeling.  Oh well.  We had a fun time - Amy's six-year-old daughter Abby was running the race with her little friend and her friend's mother, so we were kept entertained by them for quite a while.  Even with the crummy weather, a lot of people still showed up to race, although I saw some people with half marathon bibs running the 5K, because ugh, that weather.  Near the last half mile, Cary went on and finished ahead of us but it was fun to run with her for most of the race.

Jeff was our official photographer (since he's still on the injured list) but I can tell that he's out of practice, as there were a lot of blurry shots.  Here's what made the cut:

Before the race, with a sleepy Abby (poor thing had to be woken up super early)

The start - Jeff missed us in the crowd but we saw him and caught his attention.  Abby is running behind us (with her pink jacket tied around her waist).  Within the first quarter mile her shoe had come untied and the jacket was abandoned (her friend's mom carried it for the duration - she was walking the 5K with the girls), but nothing seemed to faze her.

 Coming in for the finish!

Love that we are in sync with our steps.

 Proof that I finished, LOL.  The official pictures just went online yesterday - I usually order one from this race because for whatever reason, their photographers make me look decent (oh, the horrible race pics I could - but won't - post...).

Abby and her friend (who was a fantastic cheerleader the entire race) finishing - girl power!!!

After the race we zipped over to Blue Baker for breakfast and lots of hot coffee.  As we drove home, it started pouring rain.  The route for the half marathon goes right by our neighborhood, so we got to see firsthand the runners gutting it out in the rain.  I think Jeff was a little relieved that he didn't end up having to run this race after all!