Run With the Cops, Not from Them! Road Race

The entertainment at the beginning of the race was spectacular; A DJ with dancers to lead the crowd into warm up exercises, the bomb squad displaying some of their robots (with photo ops), water cops with gear, and creepy clowns galore. This is a fabulous organization to donate to and I was proud to take part in the race.
Two awkward/​life threatening moments though…
Running through the woods at about mile 4 I ran into a set of middle school kids with sharp objects. After a quick life flashing before my eyes moment, I realized these kids were from the nature center and had adult supervision. I wish they had been warned to stay clear of the running path for that time period.
The last half mile was through a parking lot. As a 10k runner, I was finishing a good 20 – 30 minutes behind the 5k. As the 5k families were backing their cars out of the lot, I was dodging them trying to get to the finish line. I could have seriously been injured!
Great location, good organization, tons of fun!

Bam! Bam bam bam! Bam bam bam! Bam bam bawww!
«Rising up, back on the street
Did my time, took my chances…»
There’s nothing like the adrenaline rush triggered by an early ‘80s fitness rock classic like «Eye of the Tiger.» I haven’t measured, but I think the song makes my strides twice as long and twice as often, while I think half as much about how silly it is to run desperately with little sign of danger.
Well the race started uncertainly with the weak clap of a cap gun («Next time I’ll bring my AK,» said the cop), and the next thing I knew, lots of feet were moving. You could say we were like horses chasing carrots dangled from a fishing wire by riders atop our backs, but you wouldn’t. The run supports the For a Day Foundation, which brings parties to children with life-​threatening illnesses.
Despite the frosty low-​40s morning, I wasn’t the only one with the idea. A woman sweating through her blue jeans. A pony-​tailed teenager sending text messages on the run. A middle-​aged rascal who placed an order for an Irish coffee from the water station volunteer. An actual clown running at the back of the pack.
I can’t find the words to describe Belle Isle right now, but I can’t think of a better place to run a race than Detroit’s 1,000 acre island park.
At some point, the pack I was running with took a sharp left turn down the 10k trail, and I kept on the 5k trail. All the better to reach the finish line sooner and receive my complimentary frozen banana and popsicle from Trader Joe’s. What better way to reinforce the icy grip of Old Man «cold weather don’t end in March cause I ain’t done being mean yet» Winter?