Fun Run

To get ready for Run Barbados, we planned to run some races locally (mostly to give the kids a feel for what it will be like), and we ran our first race today! The kids ran a 2K (they were in the under 15 category), and they all finished, so we're really proud of them! Another volunteer and I ran a 6K (19+ category), and it was quite an experience!
First of all, the race was held at St. Vincent's car racetrack, which resembles an abandoned field more than anything. There is a dirt track in some places, but mostly it's overgrown, rocky and extremely muddy, so we slogged through mud and knee-high grasses for the majority of the course. Also, there are goats and cows grazing all around the field (I arrived to the race a little early only to be chased off the field by an angry bull). The goats aren't anything, but cows equal dung piles. Lots of dung piles. Which naturally were deposited right along our running path, so there we were, slogging through mud and knee-high grasses, dodging cow poo. Except, of course, for the part of the trail that included a large, rock hill that you ran up, but had to jump from rock to rock to get down. Six times we ran this course. It was an exhausting race.
One of the more interesting parts of the day was how the water got passed out. During a 5K run in the US, the organizers would pass out cups of water at set points during the race. It's a bit different here - the organizers did pass out water, but in tied plastic bags (what a goldfish might come in). As you passed the water point, you grabbed a bag, bit a hole in it and drank/poured on your head the water. Ingenious.
My friend and I had only 3 goals for the race:
1. Don't trip on the rock hill (because you will seriously injure yourself).
2. Don't step in cow poo.
3. Finish the race.
We accomplished 2 of our goals.
At the end of it, I took second place in my category! There were only four people in my category, but I'm still a little proud. I might even be in the newspaper!