Fourth time at the Westside Cooperative Preschool event in Olympia. Feeling somewhat tired legged. This is a tougher course than the last couple of 5Ks I have done and I'll be happy to beat 22 minutes. I do like the course though mostly along paved nature trails. Cool and cloudy, great running weather. 
Start - With over 200 runners I should not be right in front at the start line. We are crowded in a narrow drive way and although I am fairly close to the front there are obviously slower people in front of me. I need to be careful and not panic if I can not run my pace right away. We start right on time and yes, it is crowded and slow. I feel so boxed in as we go through the parking lot. I do a couple of zigs and zags, something I would never do in a marathon, just to get some running room. The crowding keeps me from going out too fast and I am able to pick up the pace when we hit the paved trail. At least I feel like I am working harder, problem is that there is an uphill here. Dan Meuse catches me and we run together for a while.
Mile 1 - Dan moves on ahead. I'm doing OK but not great. A few surges but I am just not able to keep the legs pushing as fast as I would like. Concentrate on form. The trail is squiggly and as I try to get past one guy who is slowing he moves toward the side where I hoped to pass, effectively cutting me off. I go around the other way and see Erik Lindberg not too far ahead.
Mile 2 - Finally catch Erik and move ahead. Holding a steady pace but it is slower than I would like.
Mile 2.7 - Top of the overpass. Feeling a side stitch. Working very hard but all I have to do is hang on for a couple of more minutes. Passed by a young guy. Turn and down the hill. Runner who passed me is stopped! At the on ramp crossing, the cop has stopped us so that cars can go by! Fine if there is a break in the runners, but he really just arbitrarily halted us. I get mad and think about blowing across the road, because it 
is clear; the vehicle that he is directing forward is not moving yet. I realize that if I do cross I would deserve to be disqualified and really what difference does it make? I am not going to PR, I was not going to beat my course record here. I might as well not let it bug me and just obey the cop. He lets three cars go through and it seems like forever but was probably less than 15 seconds. Three of us now at the crosswalk and in the final bit of running both of them beat me.
Mile 3.1 - On to the finish. My new shoes, Brooks Adrenaline 11, felt fine. Being stopped by the cop gives me a great excuse, maybe it was more like 30 seconds that I had to wait:) Go run another 3 miles easy, take some pictures an
d then stay for the kids races, results and raffles. This race always has the best raffles, but I do not win anything today. Results are tabulated quickly and accurately. I get a third place in my age group ribbon.
27th of 218
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