country run 2016

I haven't done a race in a long time, April at the Yungeling, I think. Race fees are no longer in the budget so I do very few. If you are a long-time reader, you'll remember this one was a random act of kindness back in February.

I had so much fun at this race last year, so it was one that I had planned to do again.—it's only $10, which is very reasonable for a race. Yesterday I picked up the t-shirt and bib. While I was there I had noticed that the fair wasn't being set up. Odd.

The race starts at 8:30, and it's at Stabler. I left the house at 7:30 hoping to score one of the parking spaces in the shade. And I did. But that was more time to wait.

There was a lot of water coolers near the start line, and a table of ribbons. Odd. Those were by the fair last year. Then I noticed that the fair was moved into the field house. Mystery solved.

We warmed up with the opera singing cow girl. For the aerobics, she talked. I don't know how she did it with all those clothes on.  When she sang the Star Spangled Banner we all discovered she had a really good voice. Inflatable cows (top) greeted us at the start.

And the man on stilts was there. I took a forward facing shot, but the sun was behind him, so you can't see him. Bummer. You'll see he's wearing a lime green bandana. So were many other people. I think the lady forgot to give me mine. I wore my red one from last year. I rung it out at the end of the race.

The course changed some what but all the stations were there. I didn't stop and take pics this year. Nothing was different. There was hay bales to climb, the pig pen, the cows, the chicken and roosters, and the John Deere tractors and a place to hop thru the tires.

 My actual time might be a minute less. I didn't have a timing chip. The chip people went first. I like a race that ends with a giant whoopie pie. (There is a male too!) Not the best time. But not awful. Better than my 63 minutes at the Yuengling.

After crossing the finish we received our ribbons and cold water. The water is never cold when I reach the finish. Upon entering the field house we received our string bags. Really nice ones, blue this year. I took a pix but it won't load.

The fair was about the same as last year. Sponsors giving out samples and free non-nutritious food. The center was carnival games. And then there was a country band playing on stage. I think I liked it better last year outside.

Last year I took everything handed to me. This year I didn't. Three-quarters of it I gave away. This time I only took what I wanted and would use/eat. But I noticed some greedy people. Like one lady who was filling her stroller with oranges. She was told to put them back, only take one. There was another guy who I guess pulled the child/children in a wagon during the race. It was bulging with 6-8 full bags of products. And he was just standing there waiting. Were the rest of his team getting more? I made a second round of the fair to be sure I didn't miss anything (I didn't), and went out to my car. A family across the road closed the trunk and headed back toward the field house. They had with them empty bags. I pray they were not going to refill them.

Bathrooms: Port-O-Potties with a sink and soap station. P-3.5