So you may have noticed that I've done a little bit of a redesign! (I personally love it--so bright, colorful and even easier to navigate with the tabs just under the header.) Definitely look around since there's quite a few new things to see!
As I was listing races I've done in the past, I realized that I've never talked about the Crystal City Twilighter 5k that I ran in 2014. The race was a little emotional for me, so I'll go into the backstory.
In June 2014, my grandmother that I would visit for at least 2 weeks every summer was in declining health. We knew she was going to pass, and my family was basically on call. I got the chance early in the month to visit her one last time and I wouldn't have traded it for anything in the world. That entire month my running suffered because I was essentially grieving her impending death. I was already feeling the weight of the depression and grief of a world without my grandmother (there were times where I would cry in the car if a sad song came on like Pompeii by Bastille) not feeling motivated to run was difficult too. I posted on the running subreddit asking other runners what to do. The best advice I received was essentially to rest when you need to, and run when you feel like it.
Before my grandmother's health began to decline, my Dad and I signed up for the Freedom Four Miler. It was a Pacers race and a short enough distance that there wouldn't be much training involved. Then with my grandmother's impending death, the race was no longer an option. Thankfully the race organizers were sympathetic and let us transfer our entries to the Crystal City Twilighter 5k. Then the morning of the Freedom Four Miler, just two hours after my Dad and I would've finished the race I got the call I had been dreading for so long. My grandmother passed peacefully surrounded by family.
Fast forward to a month later. Race day arrived and my parents, husband and I all head to the starting area in Crystal City. It was my first night race and I remember it being very humid (it WAS July after all.) The race course itself was interesting because it was completely paved but not totally lit up. Some of the other runners had headlamps, and it helped while my eyes would adjust to the lower level of light. The course itself was nice, but with the varying amount of light it could be a little treacherous due to potholes and trash along the course. (I remember kicking a large metal ring at one point and trying to aim it so it would get out of the way of other runners.)
When I finished the race I jogged up a small hill to my Mom and husband and gave my husband and extra big hug because I wistfully thought of my grandmother as I crossed the finish line. The post-race celebration was great and you could get a free post-race beer from one of the bars by the starting and finishing area. My Dad and I decided against it and we headed home to hit the showers.
Overall, I would balk at running this race again but not because of anything Pacers did or didn't do. For me, it just isn't a great time of year or day for a race. The weather was very humid and that made running in it extra difficult. Also I discovered that with running a race at 8:30PM instead of in the morning made it difficult to fall asleep that night. The adrenaline was pumping for hours post-race and I remember tossing and turning most of the night and having trouble staying asleep. I would still recommend any other race put on by Pacers, since they do a great job from the premium to the support throughout the entire race.
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