Adventures in the Excelsior Luck O' The Lake 5K

As you may have read earlier on my blog, I've signed up for three 5Ks but I had never done one, until this past Saturday.  The Jake O'Connor's Luck O' the Lake 5K was my very first!

Tina and I modeling our race attire. Photo by Susan Austin

From the left: Deb and Tina who ran ahead, me and Jill who stuck with me. Photo by Susan Austin

About 500 people dressed in a variety of St. Patrick's Day outfits showed up for the run in Excelsior.  The run benefited the Excelsior - Lake Minnetonka Chamber of Commerce and the community events it supports. It started at the Excelsior Brewery, and ended at Jake O'Connor's Public House aka: our local Irish Pub. 

If you know me, you know I am NOT a runner.  But, boy did I run when that race started.  I ran until there wasn't a camera in sight.  Then I started walking.  I'm out of shape, and not crazy.  Vain, but not crazy.

Evidence of my running.

Eventually I realized I was in the back of the pack, and pulling up the rear.  Apparently the police car behind me was not my personal escort, but was the cop car at the end of the run protecting the runners. I tried not to take the occasional gunning of his engine as a "Hurry the heck up", but more as a sign of support.

Two of my girlfriends (Jill and Alex), who are in much better shape than I, abandoned their dignity and stuck with me, even though I had to mostly walk.  The cold 19 degree winter air wasn't doing my Hawaiian lungs any favors either.  

Being one to make lemonade out of lemons, I treated the last mile as a parade, breaking out my pageant wave to the passing cars and volunteers on the sidelines.  I thought of asking the police officer behind me if I could ride on his car and wave, like in a real parade, but my girlfriends said it wouldn't count as finishing the 5K if I did that.

At just under 50 minutes after starting, I crossed the finish line.  Not so much to fanfare, as to the sound of people breaking down tables and packing up.  Even my police escort abandoned me a block earlier.  My two girlfriends stood with me arm in arm and we crossed the finish line, completing my first ever, and possibly last 5K.

If it hadn't been for the Chiropractic treatment I've been getting at SuNu Wellness Center, especially for my knee, I may not have been able to finish at all. I'm a work in progress.  Maybe by the time the 2nd Annual Luck O' The Lake rolls around next year, I'll be ready to do more running in it, or at least not come in last.

Much fun and celebration followed at Jake O'Connor's Irish Pub.

After party with the girls.

Note: Thank you Susan Austin Images for two of the above photos.