We are in the downtime of Summer right now. We took our family vacation a few weeks ago and many of Logan’s activities like his Improv Comedy workshop is out for the summer and his ankle sprain is precluding his horseback riding. So Friday night I had a thought. Hey, I should run a race!! Pre-Logan I used to run them at least once a month. Most of them local 5K’s. I have since gravitated to a few big races a year plus I really love trail races.
So I found the only local race was about 30 miles south in the town of Okmulgee. A 5K sponsored by the Muskogee Creek Nation. So early Saturday morning I dragged myself out of bed and headed down Highway 75 and found the place.
I got registered and got my bib and t shirt and wandered around a little bit.
They had some nice sculptures including this one of Ernest Childers, a Muscogee Creek Nation Tribe member who won the Congressional Medal of Honor in World War II. Check the link on his name. Quite a story behind this hero.
As it got close to race time everybody migrated over to the starting line. I thought it strange how much space people put between each other. But we bunched up before the gun started. I started in the very back. Psychologically it is better for me to pass people from the start to the finish.
Most of the race was out in the countryside and was very nice. The weather sunny and cool and no wind and I ran a pretty even pace only stopping to take the above photo and walking through the two water stops.
At the finish line. The Nation’s tribal court building is earth banked so I walked up almost to the roof of the structure to get this angle. I stuck around until the awards ceremony and found out that I won first place in the Men’s age 60 to 64 category.
I got this nice coffee mug as a prize. Of course I have to tell you that there was only one other person in this category in the race. The way I look at it is that there were thousands more who stayed in bed and didn’t go to the race. This is the only award I have ever won in a sporting category in 48 years since I won first prize in a free throw shooting contest at a summer camp in Clear Creek, Utah. I have run I guess over two hundred races over the years and have never even come close to placing. So make fun of me if you wish, and I understand if you do, but I’m very happy anyway.
So there is hope out there for old fat slow guys. I’m really proud of my little coffee mug.
Yippee! Yay for Yogi! Glad you got up and just did it! I don’t think you took as many photo breaks as you usually do. Maybe this is the key factor in placing?
Hooray for you indeed!! This is great!! I think the Texas heat/weather has finally tracked me down to Oregon!! 90 to over 100 degrees for the next two weeks!! I hope they’ve made a big mistake, but after the past few days I’m afraid they are right!!
summer is here for sure…Look like you have a great race there and I love the mug 🙂
Congratulations, that is one nice looking mug. It doesn’t matter how much competition there was, you were there and you were the best on that day. I was born in Henryetta, which is the next town south of Okmulgee.
Well, darn good for you! You run for the REALLy old ones, and/or decrepit, like me! Still have an Achilles given me a hard time.
Congratulations! Well run!
You should be proud.
A run through part of the beautiful, sunny countryside looks to be quite a ‘prize’ for all the runners.
I would NEVER make fun of someone who ran 5K. I’m amazed you have such great stamina!
Congratulations, Yogi! You are right–you showed up and ran–more than other 60-64 years olds did!
1st place!! That’s awesome no matter how many were in your age group. I bet you’ll treasure that mug forever–I would. I’m proud of my 3rd place finish in my age group at that 5K we ran in Idaho Falls last year and there wasn’t even a prize.
You won!!! That’s thrilling. And you have a great prize for your long lasting memory of the run.
I bet the morning was a beautiful day for the 5k too. The area looks mighty pretty with the scenery and all.
Now, I’m off to read from the link, the story behind the war hero.