The River Ramble Fall Classic has a somewhat unique feature, the runner can register with the option of going either 5k or 10k … during the race! They also have unique swag: a good quality hoodie. Finally, the course is set in a National Recreation Area managed by the National Park Service. It is a picturesque run.
If you’ve been following my running updates, you know that I haven’t been running enough to feel very competitive. While my running volume still hasn’t been consistent enough to consider a marathon, I’m getting in about 25 miles a week and that’s certainly enough to jump into either a 5k or 10k. So, while visiting my dad in my Pennsylvania hometown, I signed up for the River Ramble.
As a way of preventing myself from over-stressing my legs … a nasty groin strain is barely healed and a bone spur is scheduled to be removed from my foot … I started at the back of the pack of 500 or so runners. There’s no way for me to catch up with the front-runners from the back of the pack, so it was more of a training run with lots of company than a race.
The event was a pure joy, and ultimately, I chose the 10k and actually had a pretty good finishing time: 48 minutes and change, good enough for 18th overall and 5th in my age group (and only one woman beat me).
TRACKING #1-44034