12 Oakdale

Another 5K, another day of rain. It poured all day Saturday, so packet pickup was a drive through at Magnolia Park.  Our morning birding trip to Circle B Bar with Orange Audubon was cancelled, and the Bloom and Grow Garden Society’s Diamond and Denim dinner was hastily moved inside to the Oakland Park Community Center. A miserable, soggy day. Rain all night, and when I got up this morning. This time, though, I was determined to run, even in the rain.  59°: tights, shorts, 2 long sleeved shirts, cap, gloves, and poncho should be fine. By the time the race started, the rain was down to a slight drizzle. I’d overdressed.  The path was pretty muddy, so I was worried about slipping. Especially because the birds were starting wake up. I’ve had bad luck birding while walking. Jogging while birding would be worse.  I forced myself to keep my eyes on the trail, with only a few lapses. I’m pretty sure I saw a blue-gray gnatcatcher fly across and land in a low bush, but I kept ...

17:24 was my pace at the Run Among the Lakes 5K here in Windermere, my first race in 9 years. Another of my “seemed like a good idea at the time”, back when I signed up. I have been trying to walk more ever since I got such a dismal score on my Dexascsn bone density test. My back and hips are none too good, my femores, especially the left, are osteoporotic. Meh. I thought the challenge of a 5K would spur me on. Grant and I strolled occasionally around the neighborhood, but it was so hot, I didn’t have much enthusiasm to do it often. I also walked inside once or twice a week, in the air conditioning, following a YouTube video. I thought I’d been making progress, until I hustled along the sand blocks of Oakdale Street to a meeting at Town Hall. (The block in front of our house is one of only a few streets paved in Windermere.) My hips were really sore after that. Perhaps I should walk the course a couple of times before the race. My first time was at a 22:21 minute per mile pace. At leas...