~3.3 miles @ ~9.1 min/mi

"Great fall! Great recovery!" A lady just behind me stumbles and goes down as we descend a steep root-and-rock-strewn slope in the MCRRC "Run Aware" 5k cross-country race. But she lands on hands and is ok, pops back onto her feet in a few moments, sprints onward. Fallen tree trunks are hurdles to leap over or stoop under. Brisk breezes make bibs flap and hiss. At mile 2 a small traffic jam: apparently a hiker removes route-marking ribbons just before the event begins. Fast runners go off-course and come back to meet the slower masses. Mud puddles punctuate the trails.

And it's all good! Hundreds of little kids do their first race today. Parents and coaches cheer. Comrade Christina Caravoulias kindly gives me a lucky bib number: "888" = triple good fortune in Chinese numerology. Better than prior year assignments 666 and 999!

(trackfile) - ^z - 2016-06-01