Lessons from the CheatFest 5K Race

Okay, so three months or so ago I got a flier in the mail advertising a 5K run at the beginning of CheatFest in early May. (Note for non-West Virginians: this does not mean you make a party out of cheating; it's named for the Cheat River, and the 5K run is a fund-raiser to create some trails near it.) So I thought, "Hey, I haven't run a race in a while. A 5K sounds like fun." Um, where was my brain when I made THAT decision? Here's what I learned, which also gives you a taste of how the race went:

1) When the flier says, "The race will happen whether there's rain or even snow," you should worry.
2) When fellow runners say, "It always rains for CheatFest," you should worry.
3) When the course description includes the words "slight incline," you should worry.
4) Getting food poisoning the night before the race isn't the best idea.
5) Sweats are sometimes a very good idea, even in early May.
6) Cold legs= shivering and goose bumps= muscles that won't cooperate in running up the "slight incline."
7) Never run an "up and back" race if you can help it.
8) Tell the police escort at the tail end of the race to back off.
9) Always bring your own post-race snacks. Not everyone understands the need for bagels after a race. Or, um, water. Yeah. Wonder what my $20 registration fee paid for.
10) Make friends with the parents pushing the baby joggers. At least then when you're stuck at the back of the race you'll be entertained.

Okay, so I hadn't trained as well as I'd hoped to for this race. Still, I shouldn't have had to WALK during the first QUARTER MILE!! Seriously, is there a race around here that doesn't involve climbing hills? What's the point of the rail trails if we're not running on them? They're at least mostly level. Okay, enough griping. It was a pretty (albeit cool) day and at least I finished.