This year I ran the Four on the Fourth race. It was held in Hudson, Ohio and was well attended.
I’ve run a few Fourth of July races over the years and they’re usually hot. I wrote a post a few years ago about some of the Independence Day races I’ve run and when you look at the photographs, it’s clear that most of those races were hot.
Last year there were no July 4 races due to the pandemic lockdown.
Four on the Fourth Race
This year’s Four on the Fourth race was a little different from the previous races. First of all, it was four miles, instead of the traditional 5K. Secondly, the morning started out cool. It was cool enough that I actually said, “well, at least it’s not as hot as some years.” I later regretted saying that because the temperature did climb and I ended up feeling pretty warm.
I decided to run this race even though I’m still working on my Couch to 5K plan so four miles was more than I have been doing. However, the race was held in my old neighborhood, where I used to do a lot of running. I felt very nostalgic and decided I had to run the course.
Much of the route was shaded which helped with the heat. It didn’t take long for the temperature to rise so I was glad that there were two water stations on the course. I carried water too but I like going through the aid stations.
Because I didn’t have it in me to run the whole way, I ended up doing a run/walk for this race . I ran more than I thought I would. Even though I was slower than my past races, I was still pleased with my results. I felt like I have hope that I can really resume running again. By the time I finished the run, I was tired but energized. I felt very happy to have completed the race.
Participants
There was a wide variety of people running. There were some very fast runners, there were walkers, and everyone in between. I saw families running together and people pushing strollers. There were a few spectators, most of whom had very cute dogs. I think everyone was happy to be able to go out and run a race again. The crowd seemed very happy. There was lots of great energy in the air.
Race Results
I was shocked because there were about 11 women in my age group. There are usually not so many women my age competing. I came in smack in the middle, which, again, was better than I expected.
My boyfriend, son, daughter-in-law, and granddog came to cheer me on. It was a lot of fun to have some people cheering for me.
It felt so good to be able to run a race and enjoy the experience.
Have you been able to resume some activity you used to enjoy? Let me know!