Reluctant Hero Strikes Again, This Time at a Turkey Dash

I enjoy posting about my races. When I started this posting activity I hoped it would provide me the opportunity to see growth and change over time. What's funny is that my "wall of fame" where I pin up all of my race number placards and hang my medals, . . . THAT is where I see the progress. 

Why? I guess because whenever I pin up a new race number placard I look at the time that I like to write on each of them. This time I got to write, 10K - 53:20 - 8:33/mi. 

This is a full two minutes faster than my 10K from earlier this year. I've seen steady improvement with each 10K that I do. Which is funny. Why? Well, I went for a two mile run the day before to loosen up for the run. I barely hit 10:00/mi pace. Sure it was just a jog, but it worried me about the race. I shouldn't have been worried. I killed it at the Turkey Dash (why not Turkey Trot?). I guess that says a lot for mass hysteria. 

Finally, on my jog the day before I saw a car accident. Well, it happened behind me. About 100 meters behind me a red car (I'm guessing) tried to take an illegal right turn and got slammed by a van in the next lane. Air bags deployed, cars were thrown askew. On the other side of the street I heard the slam and looked back. I considered running over to offer help, but eventually saw everyone moving and seeming okay, so I didn't. I should have. On my return leg of the jog I saw that the fire dept and ambulance had had to show up. I should have realized that even I, just running over to see if everyone is okay, would have been worthwhile. 

So, on the Turkey Dash run when I saw two little gals, volunteers, teens, standing in the road saying "look out for the body" and I saw a dead raccoon in the middle of the road, where hundred of runners were running, it took me very little time to jog back, and pick it up and move if for the ladies. Poor guy. I took him down the gulley to the little woods and laid him down there with as much dignity as I could. I think all of the teens around me thought I was insane. 

This is something I do often. Whenever I see dead critters on my runs I stop, take off my hat (to use it as a glove) and I move them to a safe area off of the road. I remember this started (naturally) with live turtles in danger, a kitten or two lost on the road, and a dead cat I saw while running with the lifers. I remember performing this "ceremony" for several squirrels, possums, couple raccoons, birds, etc etc. 

I thought that it had killed my time, but really . . . it didn't. It occurred at mile 3. Mile 3 was and 8:21 my mile 4 was 8:36, so not that bad and quite worth it to not be the reluctant hero that I commonly am.