you get out of it what you put into it

Anyday spent outside running with friends is a victory :) Way to get out there and try to run fast. It's good for you, last or not. You ran faster than I would have (unless a bona-fide rapist was after me, that might make me speed it up). Way to spend a Saturday with friends! That's a good day.

You got 12 friends to show up? That's great. I'm afraid of tough hilly courses myself.

My brother is here from Huntsville, and he just told me about the shooting by a Biology faculty member that happened at UAH. I hadn't heard about it before. Congratulations to your sister-in-law.

Nice work lady! RD's don't usually get to run their own races, so you should get bonus points for that! :) Oh, and hills are of the devil - unless I'm running DOWN!

Congrats to your sister-in-law!!

nice job on directing AND running the race...and a new PR as well! great day. congrats to your SIL as well.

I never heard about that shooting, either. Odd.

Great job on your race! I love what LUZ says about only running faster if a rapist were actually chasing her. Maybe we can get someone to dress up in a ski mask and chase us all in a race and see how fast we can be!?!

KP - every race, first or last, gives something back - keep after it.

Stay Kool, B of BS Rools out

Great job KP! I'm sure you can run a sub 27 or faster this year. Keep up the great work! Congrats to your sis!

Thanks guys! I've ran around a 27ish in a training run before so I was a bit disappointed in my time. Oh well. I told everyone from the beginning that I was the "official sweeper" because I knew I would come in last. Jonathan is quite fast for the little bit he runs and he came in 5th. This obviously wasn't an official race. It was just a bunch of friends that ran together. I'll have to see if any pics are posted on FB yet. It was hilarious. Jonathan's mom kept time and was also sitting at the "registration table" where everyone signed in and we even got race bibs! His dad was the "mobile aid station" and went and parked his truck at about 1.25 into the race with cups of water. I did enjoy being able to run a race I was "directing" and really liked the organizing aspect of it. I just hope next time to not come in last! Note to KP: Invite slower people next time. 2nd note to KP: Don't host a race in the middle of the summer... The heat and humidity were killer when we started at 8:30AM.

Here is a little info on the shooting: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_University_of_Alabama_in_Huntsville_shooting

My SIL already has a biology degree, the department the shooting was in, so she knew all of the professor's very well and had even had Amy Bishop (the shooter) for 2 semesters. She just got her nursing degree on Saturday, so she spent a lot of time in the bio department. She was very upset when it happened since she knew them all so well.

Your race sounds like fun! I'm not sure I could get 4 people together to run, let alone 12.

Hills and heat...they'll suck your energy, but they're great training. You'll break that training PR with all of thetraining you've been putting in!

I love the registration table/ bibs/ and water-aid station. Sounds like a real race to me :-)

Fun race! Congratulations on a PR. I had not heard about the shooting either, crazy.

KP -- I just think you are incredibly awesome!!!! :) :) :)

I say if you come in the top 20 ... no matter how many participants, you are a ROCKSTAR!!!!

Top 20 baby!!!! :) :) :)

Nice job KristEn. I heard about the shooting when it happened on Bonnie's blog. Since she's a college faculty member herself, it really hit home to her. I think some day she may go on a rampage, too. I'm just glad it wasn't when I met her.

Jeeze Burt, can you get it right? you heard about it on my facebook page, I hardly ever talk about non-running issues on my blog (unless it relates to my not having enough time to run ;-)). Don't get me mad ... I am warning you. I already told you that this is why academics and guns do not mix - I don't like guns, so you don't have to worry about a deadly rampage with me -- but you better watch out Burt for just the wrathful rampages anyway.

On a serious note, this is not the first instance of something just like this, it happens almost every year. Academics is a tough field. The one at UAH happened at a faculty meeting, and the person in question (Amy Bishop) had just been denied tenure. I can't tell you how many people this happens to every year, and it basically ruins your career. So, if you are unstable to begin with (which she obviously was) it is a disaster waiting to happen.

KP -- Great job getting out there and not letting a hilly course scare you away. You are a star!!

Congratulations to your sister-in-law on her graduation, sorry it was marred by the tragedy of the shootings.

Bonnie-- I read about that, and not to make light of how devistating getting denied tenure could be--but for weeks afterwards, anytime I had a dissapointment at home I'd yell "But I Am Dr. AMY BISHOP!!!" That's what happens when you're too smart for your own good....It's kind of scary how hard and deflating academics can be though when it's your career choice.

devastating...

Yikes Bonnie. You could have told me you were kidding before I peed my pants.

eeewwww! yuck Burt, now I am even more mad because I have a not-so-pretty image etched on my brain!

Nice race! Please share your tips for successful race directing.

I hate hilly 5K courses, especially when the hills come at the end. It just doesn't seem fair, somehow!

Auntie, my tips would be to limit the race to 20 people or less and don't charge a fee! Then it is sure to be a hit! It really was a lot of fun and I wouldn't mind helping out with the organizational side of more in the future. I already help with some locally with packet stuffing, etc.

I think you did awesome in your 5k - and you achieved one of your goals! Kudos for that, and you also deserve brownie points for helping organize the event!!