Trial run for Mule Day 5K

Yesterday I was in the town where my first 5K is to be held. I was fortunate enough to have someone watch my girls while I ran the route. It was cold and spitting rain as I pulled up to the nearby Elementary school where the 3.1 mile begins. I drove the route first to see wehre I was going and to map out all the homes with dogs not on leashes. I did my warm up and off I went. Straight away I noticed that running on neighborhood streets is not as easy as running around a track at your local gym. You have dips and imperfections in the pavement that is determined to mess with your stride and posture. Of course the weather elements also influence things like your breathing and visablity. So while I seemed to be taking more walking breaks than I useally do, I don't think I walked as long. It was easy to set visual goals "When I get to this stop sign I'll walk" or "Just make it to the next street sign, that wasn't so bad, make it to the next."  and so on.
The route wound through a charming neighborhood of older homes with cheery doorsteps and American Flags waving me on. It was good for a change of pace for sure. Then I came upon Fleming St. Oh my. What cunning and decietful plotting this must have been upon the Mule Day 5K team for thinking up such a genious route. Fleming St. is placed about half way through the run and it.is.all.up.hill. It knocked the wind out of my sail and slowed me down considerably. Once at the top I ran into another road block. literally. A road block. The road connecting ME with my final destination, the last mile, was closed! So I lied through my teeth and told the workers (all while continuing to jog) that my home was just at the end of this street if they would please let me pass. Hesitantly they haulted their machines and let this tiny, scruff, and panting little marathoner through.
Once on the final mile I streached my legs with perfect form, let foot hit pavement and I ran and ran, and ran and still didn't see the end of the route, so I walked, caught my breath and it wasn't long before I saw it! My final destination! With out being oh-so-very-corny I envisioned what it might be like in a few weeks to see the finish line there, and to see the time clock ticking off every second that I arrived closer to it. And so I sucked it in and sprinted.
When all was said and done and I surpassed all obsticales and boundries I finished it in 33min.!
YES! I'll take that!
And so my plan for the coming weeks is to lay off the track at the gym and run here in my neighborhood. There is a hill here a quarter of a mile long with about a 90 degree slant. THAT is my Fleming St. and THAT better be ready to meet with me often!