Relief Sale and First 5K

This weekend was the annual Virginia Mennonite Relief Sale, an event filled with good food, money for MCC, and lots of Mennonites.  The event begins with a Friday evening meal and auction.  Saturday morning there's a delicious breakfast of pancakes, omelets, or biscuits and gravy.  Then the auction continues.  Other food items are for sale throughout the day including world-famous donuts, baked goods, Brunswick stew, Indian or Laotian food, baked potatoes, homemade potato chips, apple butter and apple cider, ice cream, BBQ chicken, and a Saturday plate lunch.

Giving Dad bunny ears after eating breakfast

See that huge smile?  Sophie REALLY liked her breakfast!

Eating world-famous donuts while waiting for the race to begin. See me stretching in the background?

Watching the auction with Grandma

The auction

Taking an ice cream break.  Charles had black raspberry, Sophie had cookies and cream, and Hannah had peanut butter.  I had a small taste of each, and Hannah's was by far the best.

 

This year is the 3rd year that they've organized a 5k as part of the relief sale.  Last year I thought about running in it but didn't get around to registering or actually doing it.  This year, two days before the sale, I decided this would be my year to run it as my FIRST EVER 5k.  Since being sick I hadn't run more than one mile, but I decided to just do my best and walk the rest if needed.  So I showed up just after 7:30am to register the morning of the race.  I ended up running most of it, except for a few short stints of walking during the 3rd (and last) mile.  My first two miles were in the 8:45-9:00 pace range, and my 3rd mile was more like 10:30 with the walking that I did.  I'm pleased with how I performed in my first race, especially since I wasn't fully trained/prepared.  Here are a few pictures snapped by my cheering section:

Waiting for the race to start.  It wasn't as cool this morning as was forecasted, it was in the mid-60s during the race.

My number!

Chatting with Greta Ann while waiting to start running.

Finishing my first mile with 8:42 on the clock

Rounding the bend during mile 2

Running past my cheering section during mile 3.  This was between bouts of walking.

Crossing the finish line with a time of 27:56

Enjoying a cup of coffee at breakfast after the race