Get Your Rear In Gear 5k Race Recap

Hey there!

I hope you all had a great weekend and that you were able to fit in a run or two, even though it was a little chilly out (at least it was in my neck of the woods)! I woke up bright and early on Sunday morning to head up to Marymoor Park, which is about an hour away from where I live, for the Get Your Rear In Gear 5k benefiting the Colon Cancer Coalition. I was super excited for this race, even though it was cold and far away, because my friend, Keely, was the race organizer!

I met up with Anthony and Katie at the park and we caught up for a little bit while we were waiting for the race to start. Of course we had to take some necessary pre race photos to share. 🙂

It was a little cold, so I chose to wear one of my warmer running jackets and leggings to try to stay warm! I even busted out my running gloves this time! BBBBRRR!

I’ve never really been able to get a good action shot, so I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Now, I just need to remember to smile next time so I don’t have my mouth wide open looking like I’m afraid of heights or something!

Brooks was the overall sponsor of the race, so they had the big blue Brooks arch there for the start/finish line, which is always exciting to see since I’m a huge fan of the brand!

My friend, Keely, started this race four years ago in honor of her mother who passed away from colon cancer. She gave a brief, yet moving, intro to the race explaining why she started the race and how important it is to get tested for colon cancer. It really helped remind me that I was there to support a good cause and I think it really had an impact on my overall experience at the race.

You know how when you volunteer or do something good for someone, it just makes you feel good inside? That’s how I felt during this race. Maybe it was because I knew someone who had personally been effected by colon cancer so it hit a little closer to home than usual, or maybe it was because I felt a connection to this race since I helped arrange for some of the promotional support behind it through my work. I think it’s probably a combination of the two, but either way I had a really good time participating in this event.

I love the feel of smaller races because I feel like more than just a number crossing a finish line at them. I also feel like they are more personal than the bigger races I have participated in. Don’t get me wrong, I like those races too, but it’s just an entirely different feeling.

The course at this race went through the park, so it was mostly flat, making it great for a beginner runner or someone shooting for a PR. Even though there was around 500 people who registered to participate, I didn’t feel crowded on the course at all, which was awesome. I hate having to weave in and out of groups of people when the crowd gets thick! The course was also very well marked and had lots of volunteers throughout the course to cheer on participants and help point them in the right direction. I think the amount of friendly faces on the course helped give the race the warm and fuzzy feeling I mentioned before.

Random side note: I saw this group of small children in carrot costumes charging at me when I was heading to the finish line. I may or may not have screamed and started running for safety! It was a terrifying moment for me and I’m not quite sure why.

Katie and Anthony waited for me at the finish line since they ran and I walked since I still have a bum knee, so Katie was able to snap some exciting pics of me crossing the finish line.

Katie was doing a dance on the other side of this camera so I was dancing back at her in case you were wondering why my arms were flailing all over the place in this photo!

There were tons of booths handing out  free goodies after the race and Brooks provided the winners in each age group with a new pair of running shoes of their choice!  The winners in each age group and all the kids that participated in the kids run received super cute medals that made me very jealous I wasn’t a kid and able to compete in the kids run!

But I did get a sweet Brooks tech shirt, so I guess it’s all good! 🙂

Check out how cute the design is! I’m officially obsessed with it! I’m a real stickler when it comes to race shirts, but this one past the test with flying colors! I will definitely be participating in this run next year and would highly recommend it if you live in the Tacoma/Seattle/Bellevue area!

Now my race bib board at work is all filled up, so I have to start a new one to accommodate my two bibs from Christmas runs I have coming up! And yes, I am planning on taking down my pumpkin lights soon. Don’t worry though, I’ll be replacing them with my autumn themed lights that have leaves, mini pumpkins and corn on them so get excited!

Questions of the Day:

Do you have any fun races coming up?

What is your favorite race memory?

Linking up to The Fit Dish,  Jill Conyers and Running 4 Cupcakes linkups!