RACE #24
Coming in at #24...
Race #24 didn't make the list because of the race time or place, though I did win, but the story that comes with it! (Stories, I have more than a few...)
Aug. 10th, 2002...in pretty decent shape...training for 'insert race name here'.
I was coming off a solid summer, including being a sub 2:59:59 pacer at Grandma's Marathon only a couple of months earlier...mission accomplished, by the way, but that's another 'story' for a later date
Back to the race in question, the Gopher to Badger 5K, a race course that starts in MN and has you running over the St. Croix River, finishing in beautiful downtown Hudson, WI.
Because I'm Derek Lindstrom, I ran the course from finish to start to get in my warm-up...strides, and I'm ready to hammer.
...gun goes off and I take it out hard (?), wanting to get some separation. Mile 1 was run in 5:09...mile 2 in 5:13, with a pedestrian mile 3 (5:19) to finish in 16:11...or did I?
As I approach the band-shell in Hudson...running through the empty chute, glancing over to see the race clock not yet started, I hear someone yell to the RD (race director) that the winner was here. I run all the way through the finish-line, with a solid 'kick'...to emptiness...to nobody. RD runs up to the finish and starts the race clock, though by this time 3 of us have finished. 'What was you time?' he asks me...and I, being a smart-ass (surprised?) answered, 'What did the clock say?' ...I'm so funny :)
I picked up my $5 Running Room gift card for being the OA winner
(Note in the results that we are all separated by 10 seconds, though I had at least 2 full blocks on 2nd place...)
I picked up my $5 Running Room gift card for the BIG win and finished off the morning with a 7 mile cool-down run with the 'crew'... Thumbs up day!
You know, not my fastest race, not the best race 'field', but I will always remember this race for what it was...a great story, a great running memory...a story I love to tell.
HONORABLE MENTION for today...it's just another story.
As you may or may not know, I like to clown/joke around...this sometimes spills out into my running. A great example...
Back in the day when we wanted to race but not 'compete', we would just bandit the race...it was cool back in the day...but times change, and running as a bandit became frowned upon years ago :( So instead of running as a bandit, I would sign up for races using random/famous names...when I was pacing and/or didn't want posted results...Juma Ikangaa, Tony Bennett...whatever was handy.
The race in question, the fall 2012 (?) St. Therese 5K (Deephaven, MN)...not knowing what kind of shape I was in, I ran over to the church before the race and signed up as Justin Timberlake...yep, I'm a tool.
Small race, maybe 150/200 runners...and I didn't run real fast, maybe 16:45, but I won! ...and after doing so, a 'sister' from the church tracked me down to give me my $50 BP gift card for winning and asked me my name... 'Justin Timberlake', I say with a dumb smirk...she gives me an equally 'dumb' smirk and says, '...are you sure you want to go with that, your name is going on a plague in the church...'.
Bested by a 'sister' at the church...
Tomorrow, race/memory :23...ready?
Running playlist song #24: A Love Bizarre - Sheila E
Love the stories, D! Can't wait for the next!
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