Eskenazi Health Stride 5K

Last weekend I ran in the Eskenazi Health Stride 5K in downtown Indy.  The course was really nice - starting at the old Wishard Hospital and finishing at the new Eskenazi Hospital.  Some of the course was the same as the Race for the Cure, so I was pretty familiar with it.

Race morning it was 48, cloudy, & fairly calm.  I had been expecting it to be chillier, so I was pleasantly surprised.  I headed downtown pretty early, because even though I knew exactly where I was going I had no idea where to park.  Parking downtown - especially around IUPUI & the hospitals - is always either expensive or inconvenient.  As of when I left home, the race website still said "Check back later for parking information."  I wound up parking on the street at a meter about a mile from the start line, after driving & circling several other areas and finding nothing. 

I did not have time after checking in to return to my car, so I had to put the event shirt on over what I was already wearing.  I didn't plan on wearing that extra layer, so by the end of the race I was quite uncomfortable.  Also, I started out way too fast.  Shame, shame, shame.  I know better.  Once I dropped back to the correct pace for me, I struggled for about a quarter-mile until I got my breath back.  As I approached the finish line (which was nowhere near the start line), I saw signs for the event parking.  Kind of irritating - I drove in from a different direction so there is no way I would've seen them earlier.  It would've been nice to be parked near the finish, instead of 2.3 miles away.  (But, since I needed to get in 11 miles on Saturday anyway, I also counted the walks to and from the car.)

I know all this sounds like I'm griping and I'm about to tell you I had a horrible race, blaming it on the parking, the extra shirt, and not pacing myself.  But I actually had a great race and yet another PR - 34:58 by my GPS watch!  So what I am actually going to tell you is that I am learning more and more just how much I am fearfully and wonderfully made! (Psalms 139:14)  Outside irritations and my own mistakes did not trip me up - I was still able to accomplish what I set out to do  Good reminder for both running and life: I can't control everything and I shouldn't even try.  Just concentrate on the task God has given me and let Him handle all the rest.