In which Linda gets to the point

Today I ran another 5K. This one was not for a charitable cause but rather just a festive neighborhood event right here in Greenpoint. It is in fact called the "Get to the 'Point 5K Run." I wasn't even sure I was going to do it, although I had idly considered it a couple weeks ago but didn't register because I often work on Sunday afternoons. As it happened, I didn't work today and when I got up this morning I was super-lethargic and I really needed to go running after skipping yesterday and finally was like, why not just do the 5K at 1:00? So I did.

It was superfun. Loads of people from the 'hood, which means lots of Polish but a blend of other Brooklyn cultures as well. First there were 50- and 75-yard dashes for the kids and then the actual 5K. Quite the turnout! I was pretty sure I wouldn't go too fast. I have felt a little sickly this weekend, even suspecting I might have been allergic to something I ate in my wacky gnocchi at Heather's birthday party Friday night, but I pushed through today anyway even though I felt drained and blah. And then I enjoyed the free food and even free beer at the party afterward. That was like the best post-race party ever. It was a veritable hootenanny. People of all ages, the whole 'hood, yucking it up and eating copious amounts of food. The emcee throwing t-shirts and other prizes out to the crowd, who were all eating and drinking at long tables set up in a church event hall. Drawing numbers from a box to award prizes that couldn't be thrown, such as cases of beer and such. And then trophies to the top three in each age group.
My time was 27:36. Not bad for how I felt, I'll say that much. I was 178th out of 310 runners. I was sixth in my age/sex division, which was a particular bummer because they posted all the results there at the back of the hall during the party, and separate from the grand lists of all our times were the lists of the top five of each division -- missed it by that much! (in this case "that much" = 38 seconds)

So I've decided that maybe 5Ks are my new hobby. Especially when they're as fun as this one. And besides, you get a free t-shirt. I'll do a lot of things for a free t-shirt. Remember the polar bear swim, anyone?

And of course I've had the following song in my head all afternoon...

"Get to the point of it
Get to the sense of it
I'm in a hurry to get through it
One day the war will stop
and we'll grow a peaceful crop..." etc.
(from indigo girls, 'trouble')