Zoe and I set off at a steady pace. She has become better at not haring off. It was interesting for me to be running in a part of the pack that I wouldn't normally see. 10:00 for the first mile. The uphill in mile 2 was not welcomed by my companion. We did some walking, and Zoe complained of various ailments. 12:xx for mile 2. We walked less in mile 3 (11:xx), and Zoe put in a storming sprint finish that I could not keep up with. I was just happy to make it to the end without feeling hurt.

Zoe was hoping to get under 30 mins, and she has come close a couple of times in the past, but this was not the day for that. I was happy that we did the race together, but I don't know if it was actually the best situation for Zoe. Although she likes the idea of having Dad along for company, I think that she fares better when she's running with her friends. Having a parent along elicits less HTFU and more desire for sympathy; and running with somebody who is obviously not breaking a sweat may be more discouraging than helpful. I know we're supposed to say that it was a simply awesome bonding experience, but I'm not convinced that I was a positive presence.

Does drinking hot cocoa count?

I noticed that the OA 2nd placer was James Blackwood, whose name I recognized from BT, so I took the opportunity to meet up with somebody who I'd only met on-line before. He had won OA the past couple of years, and put in a solid performance to run 17:30.


A well-organized local event. Not the place to set a 5k PR, but a fun experience. The AG prizes are all locally-baked pies, so that's a nice perk if you're fast enough.