2011 Watermelon Stampede 5K and 10K, Muscatine, Iowa

The day started out a littler warmer than usual. It wasn't bad for August in the low 70 degree range,but add humidity to that and it's warm.   My favorite running weather is 50's.  This morning my son Daniel had to work at 6a.m. and that was perfect because I was going to leave the house at that time anyway, so I just left 5 minutes earlier. On the way out of town I realized that I didn't grab my banana in the house for my breakfast (I don't eat much before a race, I make up for that after). Anyway so I stopped at a gas station for a banana and to my surprise they had a perfect (yellow with a slight green at the end) banana. When I arrived outside the gas station there was a truck pulling an antique tractor. Since my Grandpa Lewis collected antique tractors and I instantly thought of him, I took this picture in memory of my Grandpa.

Then I traveled to Muscatine, Iowa for my 5K race. The weather had seemed to cool a bit on my drive there and it was overcast with some dark clouds. I was sure it would rain. Even the race director made an announcement that he hoped we wouldn't get lightening. Wouldn't you know it that with Iowa the clouds just passed on by without a drop. Even the sun came out to fry our bodies while we all ran.

The race started within a couple minutes of 8a.m. as scheduled. We all ran past a Farmer's market and I secretly wished it would be open after the race so I could get a few fresh produce items.

The course was brutal. A LONG gradual hill that extended most of the race. It went for 1.5 miles and by the top I thought my legs were burning off. It hurt me so bad to run today, however there was no stopping for me. I had decided after last week's race of (run walk run walk run walk) placing 4th and missing 3rd place by only 20 seconds that this time I would run the entire way without stopping and I was determined to find a good pace. I started the race with some stomach cramping and then an ankle hurt and then 2 miles into the race I had a side cramp so big it felt like being stabbed. But I plugged on and kept running since that was my goal. I heard another runner say that after the turn around point (1.5 mile mark) that it was downhill all the way to the finish. I was happy, but then it was WRONG. Sure the downhill came because I don't think we could have climbed much further up, however the downhill was only for about .75 of a mile and then the rest was up and down till the end.

I think this was the hardest 5K course I have ever ran and I used to think that about Williamsburg runs.

I felt like I was running fast so I hoped for a great time of under 28 minutes. Instead 28 came and went away. My time was 29:19 and  I was 5th in my age group of 35-39 out of 8.   109 of 244 Overall and 39th of 144 Women.

The best thing about this day was I won a watermelon. That was cool! Here are some pictures:

The cool looking antique tractor.



Something else on the trailor with the tractor, maybe my Father can identify it.




My shirt.



my race number and if you read it backwards then you will get my lucky #13



Since I attended this race alone (no friend Tracy or Stephany this week),  I took a picture of just myself, but forgot to do that until after the race.  So here I am within minutes of finishing the 5K looking massively sweaty and red.




There were a bunch of older Watermelon Stampede shirts so I took a picture of every past year shirt I could find.  Here is year 2000




2001




1987




2008




2010




The race director in his watermelon shirt.




My friend Muriel with her race medal.  She ran the 10K race and placed 1st in her age group.




After the race there was a drawing for 30 watermelons to be given away.  My number was chosen.  Lucky me!



I had to have a picture with the race director because I thought he did a great job and I liked his shirt.