Race Report: Reston Runners Women's Distance Festival

This "no boys allowed" 5K never disappoints. Year after year it is reliable, predictable fun. Somehow, they always come up with something new to make you want to keep coming back.

This year, the pink flamingos were back (last year it was green frogs), as were the male cheerleaders in their coconut bras and grass skirts. For signing up early (and you do want to sign up early, because if you don't and show up on race day to register, then you'll just get a t-shirt or something not as cool as the rest of the runners), you got a nice spa robe with the race logo and pink flamingo running socks with the race name on them packed in one of those little diddy spike bags that some races give out. (They are great for packing your shoes in a suitcase, btw.) Really, who gives a spa robe at a race? That is too awesome. Too clever. Next year, can we get fuzzy slippers to match? (Probably not, because it would be too much work to get sizes right. But, wow, that would be fun.)

Despite a 33:28 slow poke finish (195 out of 438), I had a big smile on my face as I crossed the finish line. It's nice to be running at all, really. Somewhat sidestepping the Official Finish Line WDF Hugger (way too sweaty), I grabbed my official finisher's ballcap (purple this year), lei, and bottle of water and set off in search of coffee. Again, the WDF never disappoints. They had 'Bucks waiting. Plenty of it. Although I was polite and drank only one cup. (Other caffeine fiends were likely prowling for the same.) They also had, as the Reston Runners always do, a supply of breakfast foods to suit anyone - both healthy and unhealthy choices. Fruit, bagels, granola-y stuff, cheese danish, chocolate cake. You name it. They've got it. You could waddle out of there, if you wanted to. Somehow I've got a healthy aversion to undoing the exercise I just got... fortunately...

This is one of the few races I've seen were nearly all the participants hang until the end of the awards ceremony. Could it be the awesome door prizes? Could it be the fact that Cliff DeWitt and his students are there giving finish line massages? Could it be that it's all just that much fun?

Thanks, Reston Runners! Nice job!!