Left: Spreading peace before I run the Dinosaur Dash. Below right: Getting ready to pass a couple of senior runners. Bottom left: Hauling ass about 500 meters from the finish line. Photo Credit: Dane Robison.After last Sunday's 13.1 run, today's 5k Dinosaur Dash, hosted by the Michigan State University Federal Credit Union, was a relaxing and fun, no-pressure run. My regular running partner, Kate Koltvedt, decided against running outdoors for the rest of the year, so I was on my own. That's why I was glad to bump into Bill Thygerson from my husband's office. His regular running partner, Katie Green, also didn't run today, so he suggested we buddy up. Not that Kate and I actually run together (she's a faster runner). Generally, we arrive together, start together, and meet up after the finish.
The Dino Dash marked Bill "The Tiger" Thygerson's seventh 5k and my 12th official run this year. I've still got the Niketown "Run Like a Girl" half marathon on October 19 in Chicago, which will likely be my final race this season.Overall, it's been an awesome year of running for me. In a few short weeks, I'll be forced to make the switch from the great outdoors to the treadmill, though I'll long for that occasional winter day when the sun shines high and warms up the earth just enough to allow for a few miles of outdoor running.
For now, I'm taking full advantage of these final days of warm weather. I'm looking forward to running under the canopy of trees ablaze with color, catching the all-too-familiar scent of wood burning in a nearby fireplace; seeing my breath hang in the crisp, cool air, hearing the crunch of fallen leaves and twigs underfoot.Yes, there are still many days of running yet to be had this year. Hope to see you out there on the asphalt.
Did you run the 2008 Dinosaur Dash? Find yourself at TimeFramePhoto.
