Yesterday I Led the Race

Back in 2008, Marla and I were looking for a local 5k to start the new year off on the right foot--ha, ha no pun intended. I can't remember how we found the Frostbite Freeze, but we knew it would be just the right race for us. It was local. It supported a good cause (the Deer Park HS cross-country team). And most importantly, the registration fee couldn't be beat. $22.00 and it included a technical t-shirt.

We have been running that race ever since. Some years the roads are horrible, covered in snow and ice. Other years they are bare. The one thing that remains constant is the community spirit of the race. From the crowded community center where you stand almost elbow to elbow with your fellow racers to the craft fair with local vendors, it is always about community. And the race is about community--running through the little town of Deer Park with many volunteers along the course, placed at every corner so the racers don't go astray.

Yesterday was the 2014 version of the Frostbite 5k. This year the committee moved the events to a newer, bigger venue--the high school. Moving the venue also meant a new course. The committee billed the course as faster and flatter. The thought of a flatter, faster course was exciting as the other  course had a few "ups" that always cause my pace to slow.

Finding the high school was really easy. The parking situation was a lot better than in years past at the old grange hall venue. The vendors had more room. The race was able to accommodate more runners. There was a map posted with the new course showing that indeed, the course was going to be flatter and faster. Yay! All was looking good...flatter, faster course and super cute shirts.

With 5 minutes until the start of the race it was time to head out to the starting area. Even though there did not appear to be a designated start line, there were certainly hundreds of racers all congregated in one area close to the finishing clock. Lots of runners, but no race official which was strange. We waited and waited, but no race starter. In all of the years I have been running the Frostbite, there has always been a race official with a countdown clock.

The official start time, 10 a.m., came and went with no word from any race officials on why the race has been delayed.

10:05 still no start and still no word. By this time, our little group of 10 running ladies is getting a little antsy. All but 2 of us had already run 11 miles that morning and we were anxious to get this last 3.1 done so we could get home. We started joking the we should just start running.

10:10 still no start and still no word. SO FRUSTRATING! We were cold and just wanted to get going. One of the ladies turns to me and says "Heather, you're a good route leader. You should start us out." A moment or two of thinking, hemming and hawing, "are you sure-ing?" and then we were off.

Me and my running friends....leaders of the pack.

Well, I didn't know we had started a pack until we had gone about 200 yards and someone said "Heather, turn around and look behind you." There was just a mass of runners coming up behind us.

We went maybe another 50 yards when we heard a siren go off. They were calling the runners back for an official start. Everyone but our group turned around. Our group just kept on running. We had already decided that we wouldn't turn in our numbers or go through the chute. We were just going to get that last 3.1 done!

The course was not well marked and there were not any volunteers to point out where to go. I was glad that I had reviewed the map and memorized the streets. Unfortunately, when we got to our second turn I doubted myself because the road was a dirt road and covered in ice. I couldn't believe that the race organizers would have us run on that road. But it turns out they did. That mistake cost Jen and I about 100 extra yards. Funny, 100 yards doesn't sound like much but it did take us awhile to catch back up with others from our group who got turned around earlier. And we were no longer in the lead. Oh well. It was fun while it lasted. And probably the only time in my life when I will be a race leader.