Today was the fourth time I have run the Turkey Creek Festival 5K in Merriam KS. I have run this race more times then any other race I’ve run. I have now run 27 different races including 5K’s, 10K’s, 4 milers and half-marathons. This was the fourth race for me this year, it would have been my fifth, but I had to withdraw from a race earlier this month (Tower to Tower, which I wanted to run again, I ran it last year) a few minutes before gun time, due to illness. Thunderstorms were predicted for today, but thankfully, it held off until after the race.
This time around, I recorded my 2nd best time of the four times I’ve run it. Ironically though, even though this wasn’t my best time for this race, I placed third in my age bracket, a nice surprise for me when they called my name during the presentations.
Sadly, for the first time, I witnessed an older runner have some type of health issue that required EMT’s to attend to him. Something you never want to see, anytime really, but especially at a race where people are there to have a good time. My prayers are with him and his family.
Also sadly, for the first time, I witnessed something, to me was shocking, considering where we were, and why people were there. Here I am standing around in the spectators and finishers plaza, watching other racers finish, and I get this foul stench in the air. I turn around, and see an older man, SMOKING.. This is a family friendly atmosphere, and supposed to be a healthy atmosphere, you know, running and such, and here is someone polluting the air with hundreds of people around. What’s worse, it appeared he was wearing a volunteers shirt, either for the race, or the festival a few miles away. If someone chooses to smoke, that’s their business, but where he chose to smoke, to me was plain rude. He should have either chosen his car, or walked to an area where no one was close by.
Time On The Road..........by Donnie 