There are so many races going on every weekend across New England that it’s almost impossible to choose. But many of them have one thing in common: boobs.
Or breast cancer, to be more precise. Yes, the Pinking of America is alive and well in running-land. That’s not to take anything away from the cause, of course, and we were happy to sign up for the Tanger Fit for a Cure 5K Run/Walk in Tilton, NH, which raised money for LRGHealthcare.
However, at the risk of sounding completely shallow, there was another reason for committing to this particular event: shopping.
You really can’t go wrong with a run that provides coupons and encourages post-race consumerism. Can you?
‘Flat’ in whose language?
Hubby had earlier declared this race to be “flat,” which excited me no end. Especially because we had signed up for a second 5K the day after that had been described as – well – not flat. Were we crazy? Perhaps. It was the first time we had double-booked a weekend.
The first mile was fine; the second not so much. (I’ll never understand why a 5K is called a 5K, but is measured in miles; guess it just sounds better than a 3.1M.) I rounded a bend and there it was: a hill to rival the New Hampshire Hill From Hell, and just as unexpected. Defeated, I slowed to a walk and trudged my way up in the inelegant fashion that has come to define the way I deal with inclines.
I really, really need to learn how to run up a hill.
Tanger Outlets 5K Run Walk race map. It looks so innocent.
Face turning redder by the second, I finally vanquished the beast and was rewarded with a long downhill stretch that got me back on track and in the mood to spend, if not party. I was cheered on by Hubby at the end, divorce imminent (I may need to have a lawyer on standby from now on in case any more rogue hills pop up). I quelled my hill rage, however, after I learned that I had posted my fastest time yet. Yay!
I did spare a thought for the poor shop assistants, though, who were forced to endure reams of runners descending upon their stores post-run, coupons clutched in their swollen, sweaty hands.
On second thought, that may have been just the two of us.
The event: Tanger Outlets Fit for a Cure 5K Run/Walk
The location: Tilton, NH
The date: Sept 24, 2011
My time: 35.30
Hubby’s time: 23.51
The T-shirt: Bright green cotton shirt with Tanger Outlets graphic
The aftermath: Apples, granola bars, bagels! And a free bright pink drink bottle from Under Armour!
Stride and Joy 
And there was also a kangaroo…well, not a real Kangaroo, they are too tasty to let roam free, but a dude in a Kangaroo costume…when we asked why, as any Aussie does when confronted with their culture in a completely foreign context, we were told it was the kanga for Tanger…but of course!
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