Oshkosh 5K Race Report

My first 5K of the season is done.

I ran the Oshkosh 5K on Saturday. And it wasn't pretty.

For starters, I wasn't dressed appropriately, so I got really warm. Really quick. When I was getting ready to leave my apartment in the morning, it was in the lower 40s. I thought I'd be fine in my long running pants and a short-sleeved T-shirt layered over a long sleeve tech top. I wasn't expecting the mercury in the thermometer to shoot up to the 60s by the time I crossed the finish line an hour later when the sun was beating down on me.

The Oshkosh 5K is a race I've done in the past. And I've enjoyed it. But this year they decided to change things up a bit. They putzed with the route, which I guess was OK. But a good chunk of the race route, I'd say about a mile or so, was run on sidewalks.

I didn't like it.

When I run by myself, I don't mind running on sidewalks. It keeps me out of traffic and lessens my chances of getting schmucked by a car. But when I register for a 5K along with about 800 other runners? Could we stick to the roads? You know, cone off a lane of traffic so we can run in peace. And not have to worry about those runners who decide to take a walk break along with their three friends and proceed to walk in a line, blocking the entire sidewalk so that no other runner can get by them?

Yeah. Didn't really like that so much. And it happened to me. Multiple times.

So I ran. Every step of the way. And I was slow. Like 37 minutes slow. Like I said, not my best time ever. But I remember how the last year has dealt me some setbacks - an extra 30 pounds, a love-hate relationship with running - and then throw in being super hot because Mother Nature decided to spring summer on us and I'm kind of OK with my time.

Besides, the time? It gives me an incentive to work harder this spring and summer and improve. And chop some minutes off of the 5K time.