Get Your Bling

Running is one of my favorite activities. It feels great and at my age I notice transformations physically and so forth. A couple of weeks of non-activity and double-helpings of the foods I like is all it takes to sink my feet sluggishly and firmly into the ground with my gut bouncing to and fro.

A few types of running keep me fit. The treadmill is a decent way to test things out, such as shoes, what my knees feel like, and to get a check on my breathing. When the weather's nice I run outside. I also sign up for short races, like 5Ks.

For the past few years I've entered the Wild Rover Series in Massachusetts, USA. It is three races over three Sundays in the Winter. It is a well-organized series and provides expert run-timing and a fun experience.

Sometimes the snow can overwhelm and a race must be rescheduled. This year, the 5-mile was snowed out and rescheduled. This makes for a scramble on the part of race organizers, city officials, and runners themselves.

For me, frankly, and maybe I speak for other runners, I want the T-shirt. No, in actuality, I want the bling. Each race provides a medal and all three fit together quite artfully. That is, if you complete all three races.

I can't make the April 15 reschedule, which is still closely held to the original winter race weekends in February-March, however, I simply can't make it April 15th.

This post is a shout-out to the race organizers who understand that people will have scheduling conflicts, and do their magic to reorganize a race on another day.

In the past there was potential disappointment at the lack of a complete set of medals (the horror). There would be a grittier runner showing up for the rescheduled race (that was me), having set all plans aside for the T-shirt (and the medal, of course).

This year's postponement includes a virtual runner category. So for a small fee runners run their own course at their own convenience then submit their run time. Yesterday, I emailed my run time along with an image of my run app, though the image wasn't necessary. The race and series are complete and the T-shirt and the last medal are in the mail!

Thank you race organizers of the Wild Rover Series in Massachusetts!