Mutt Strut 5k

After three decades of running it's all about picking the right race. Jan, Andrea and I ran the Birmingham, Alabama Mutt Strut 5k on April 20. We picked this race because it started and ended on the UAB campus, where Andrea works, was for a good charity and Andrea loves dogs.

A perfect day for northern runners, with temps in the low 50's and sunny skies, it was humorous to see many Alabama natives dressed in tights and long sleeves longing for their 75+ temperature and high humidity. Andrea promised a flat course with one hill somewhere near the 2 mile mark.

The race began with 400+ runners and 180+ dogs. Where to lineup at the start? Did these people really have control over their dogs? I chose to begin near the front while Andrea and Jan slipped in 15 yards behind me. Within a quarter mile we went up a hill, then it was flat for 3/4 mile. My competition was slowed by potty stops, usually in the middle of the road. Some dogs have no shame. Now I had to avoid poop and chains.

We went up another hill turned the corner, slight down grade, then a steady gentle climb which went on for over a mile. Andrea wouldn't mislead her Dad though, right? I tried to keep an even pace and work hard on the incline but the two mile mark came up and my time was slow, really slow. We turned the corner and guess what? A big hill. It took awhile to climb but we were rewarded with a nice downhill. Being in a strange city I wasn't sure of the finish, which street we would turn on to get there. We took a right and ...a hill! But I also caught a glimpse of the 3 mile mark, and my time for the last mile was really fast. Now I realized the 2 mile marker was off by a minute or so, which made me feel better. We came down the hill and had less than 200 yards to a flat finish.

Andrea still insists the course was flat. She did set a pr so to her it was flat. Jan finished 2nd in her age group and I was 1st (it pays to get old).