Just so we don't hog up the front page of the forum here & I'm sure Jack's probably still out being a great dad at DD's swim meet & I just popped up after a doze on the couch just in time to turn on the UConn/Florida game but earlier today..........

Short version:  Great time.  Met Jack Klompus (aka, Brad, aka the Iron Sheik!) and ran a 24:44 post-knee crap. (about 2 min off PR)

Long version:  6,000 wild & crazy Hulkamaniacs showed up Santa Anita's race track today to hang & bang with some of the area's fastest runners!

Of course it was a little cold for us whimpy Californians (like low 50's.....brrrrr-cold)    But we managed to soldier on.  I had to do my packet pickup as I hadn't picked up the night before & Brad ended up signing up DD to run so we were both there a good while in advance.

I was told to look for this..........

And found it right away.  Got to meet Mrs. Klompus & DD as well as a few friends just before we started.

We got to run thru horse-racing starting gates which was pretty cool & since their fastest corral was 7minute miles, we both made our way to the front. (There were some local area elites but they got to start in front of the gates & were definitely gone in the blink of an eye).

As a little background, I know *my* training had been feeble at best.  Since the knee injury, I'd been biking so much & seriously neglecting running, though I had kept a 3-day per week schedule.  I had no idea what I could do in a 5K either since all my race distances had been much longer for the prior 2 years, peaking in my best 10K ever last September, just before the knee.

Mile 1 --------->  I remember squeezing thru the gates, running along the edge of the parking lot on our way to the arboretum.  It was maybe 1/4 mile before Jack left me & I heard, "Iran, numver juaan, USA...."....err wait, that wasn't it......oh ya......."Go get 'em, Randy".    We headed into the arboretum & I kept an eye on Jack's day-glow green til the trail wound him out of my sight.  I forged ahead & finished mile 1 in 7:40. (boo, I'd finished mile 1 of my previous 10K in 7:30 so I knew this might not be good).

Mile 2 --------->  I don't remember much except thinking to myself, "Man, it sucks I can't really stop & enjoy the scenery" but I didn't want to give my legs a chance to rest cuz they'd have loved to just crash on a bench & look at flowers.  Somewhere in the arboretum I saw Mrs. Klompus go by.  (Whoaa!  She's fast!)   (She went on to PR by over a minute so kudos to Mrs K!)  8:01 beeps on my Garmin. (boo!!)

Mile 3---------->  I could smell the stables coming.  Ahhhh, horse poo in the morning!!   As we ran thru the stables & got to the end of the track, I could just see Mrs. K at the head of the bend & heard somebody yelling at somebody on the race track already....."Push it, man!!!  Push it, you're right there!!"  I don't know who it was but my watch was still on the teens so somebody fast!

As we turned into the track in an underpass tunnel, DD K passed me up too (She took it easy on us old folks & didn't go by like a blur).  It was pitch black & I had to quickly rip my shades off to keep from running into somebody but outta the tunnel, toward the track & slooooosh!!!......we hit the sand!  Man, that stuff was like moon-dust.  Speed got a little zapped but it was cool running down the stretch of Santa Anita race track.  The grandstands to your right & just running toward that finish line.  I thought about pushing for 23 for a second, but once my GPS ticked 24, I just settled in for the finish.  No lungs or legs today for anything close to my PR so just enjoyed the finish.

24:44 & lots of smiling faces waiting w/ cool medals that doubled as bottle openers.  (Perfect thing for liquid breakfast!)

We headed to the beer garden, met up w/ the rest of the group from earlier & enjoyed protein bars, fresh fruit &....well......beer!!  A good time had by all & would love to do it again next year (in better shape, of course).

The dynamic, day-glow duo.........

The swag.......(yes, 2 shirts cuz we were also derby admittants)........

The group we were part of........

Local pancake house I rewarded myself with although I really wanted to try one of the catering trucks at the derby, the lines & prices were just a little ridiculous & some of the trucks with the longest lines weren't even open for business yet..........

Ahhhhhh.......a morning ended well!!!

Great RR, redrum. Your writing was so clear and concise, you made me feel as if I were there! Nice race with minimal training. Get some more miles done and we can hit up a local 10k sometime. That was fun. "Whatcha gonna do, brother!" 

Nice RR and great pix (though where is Mrs. K?)  It sounds like a fun race.  You did really well considering that you haven't been running again all that long since your knee healed.

Well, Jack may be being a little too humble to say it, so I'll say it now.......

Jack turned out a 20:43!!!  Not a PR for him, but he hasn't even BEEN 5K training.  He's been marathon-training.

Unfortunately all the super-fast 40+ crowd showed up today so he didn't get an AG award, but certainly deserved one.  That was some nice running!!

Oh, and he even double-dutied an extra race bib (cough, cough) for the sake of getting us a couple extra barley-pops so a gentleman ta' boot!

I think it's those magic compression sleeves he wears!    

Whoop whoop! Nice running and an awesome FE with the man.

This thread has inspired my choice for breakfast today:

Love that multi-purpose medal.  Nice running and sounds like a really fun day.  Cheers!

This thread has inspired my choice for breakfast today:

One big blob of butter all gone.