Capitol 10k

You might recall last year when I posted about running the Capitol 10K with our friends. If not, just click on the link and refresh your memory. The Cap 10K is the largest 10K in the state and fifth largest in the nation. It’s quite a spectacle because a good percent of the participants dress up in some sort of crazy outfits. Last year, we ran as the Indiana Jones Trilogy. This year we decided to run the race as the Flintstones, complete with foot-propelled cars to carry us to the finish line.

Our beloved Dino [Dan the Chicken Man] was unable to join us this year and we missed him.  Betty has a little Bam Bam on the way, so she met us at the finish line.

We ended up arriving a bit late, but with over 22,000 people participating in this race, we still had to inch our way through the congestion at the starting line.

A photographer managed to catch a lovely action shot:

http://galleries.statesman.com/gallery/2011-capitol-10000-032711/#163000

I think I was being goofy and dancing to some band music. I don’t think, or at least I hope I don’t look like that when I run.

I honestly don’t know why more people don’t dress up for this thing because if you stand out, you get cheered on throughout the race, which makes running the 6 miles more bearable even when you haven’t trained a lick [this seems to be a trend]. About halfway through the race one of the racers led the crowd in an impromptu and very garbled version of the Flintstones theme song. One of the bands playing along the route incorporated Yabba Dabba Doo into the end of his song. We even managed to belt out the song in between gasps as we approached the finish line, although we mistimed the performance and finished the song about 50 meters too early. Oh well. During the race, we managed to plan our costumes for next year’s Cap 10K. Even little “Bam Bam” or “Pebbles” will be a part of the madness. This race certainly spoils us. It’s always a good sign when you just finish a 10K and can’t wait to do it again. It just makes it hard to ever want to run a serious race. [Which I hope to do if my rickety joints will ever recover].

On the mile walk back to our car, we were getting a lot of honks and waves, points and stares. But the funniest response to our costumes was the ambulance that approached from behind, lights on and sirens blaring which actually slowed down on its way to the call to gawk and laugh at our get up.

Another perk to such elaborate costumes…the kids now have new toys that will occupy them for some time:

Now for some ice pack therapy.

xo

nessa dee