Race on the Ridge 5k

Run: 3.1 in :19:31 min. @ 8:00 a.m. + 2 miles prior to the race
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 43°F, 76% Humidity, Wind: From W @ 8 mph; feels like 38°F.
Pace: 6:18 min./mi.
Course: Around the GIGANTIC shopping mall in the sunny suburb of Greece, NY!
Official Results: Available here courtesy YellowJacket Racing.

Pre-Run Ruminations: The inaugural Race on the Ridge 5k is, in part, a benefit for Michael Bliss, a young man who man who was born and raised in Greece, NY, the town in which I currently work.

During his third year of college he was the victim of an act of violence by three young men. As a result of this incident, Michael has been left a quadriplegic, having lost the use of his hands and being paralyzed from the waist down. Following rigorous rehabilitation, Michael is now at home and is attending Out-Patient Rehab. Michael is working very hard on his road to recovery and is determined to walk again and regain use of his hands. Ultimately, Micheal's goal is to get better and be a contributing member of the Greece Community. (NOTE: Info from a foreword on the registration form written by Micheal's grandmother.)

Pretty heavy and, ultimately, inspiring stuff... my goals for this morning continue to be to simply have fun going for a nice run in an area of my extended community that I have often had the opportunity to drive my car (and occasionally my bicycle!) down, but have not run before. I suppose if the course is "flat" enough (something I'll discover early on as I'm hoping to arrive with enough time to run the course in advance of "racing" it) a fair goal would be between :19:00! and :19:45--the prior of which would represent my besting a long-established PR at the distance.

Post-Race Reflections: A hearty (but small) group of runner turned out for this morning's run. Among the total registered were some local "greats," as well as a number of folks who were there just for "fun." (I heard a couple of high school students standing at the start behind me recognize as much--they were there for fun, too.) The weather was perfect for a run of this sort and, despite a fairly strong headwind the first mile-and-a-half, the course was as flat and potentially fast as I had hoped.

In the end, my time was respectable, though I did not really contend for anything, but that was not really the point. After congratulating some of my former (and current) students for their having finished the run, I took off prior to the wards ceremony. One thing that was a little odd (and to be honest, I may have just not heard it, or perhaps it was brought up more ta the awards ceremony which was to be inside the mall and therefore more comfortable for the spectators) was the emphasis on the race's purpose being "the re-opening of Ridge Road," rather than the potential financial support generated from the run to aid Michael Bliss in his rehab.

In the end, I suppose, it doesn't matter so much what the speechifying about the event was, or even why folks attended in the first place, but that some monies were generated to assist this man.