They call it the Cabin Fever 5km. I revert to the original name of Stafford Hospital 5km, which starts at the hospital at Stafford Courthouse.
I’m getting mixed signals on the current status of COVID. On the one hand, the local hospitals had no new admissions for COVID in the past seven days. Or are that no COVID patients in the past seven days? Then, the stories of a new variant, more contagious omicron, spread in the news, and the White House had a super spreader event last week. Maybe, the stories are more transmittable than omicron stories.
I thought I had run my last virtual race in the spring of 2021. But, surprisingly, Mary Washington Hospital changed their spring 5 km to virtual for the third year in a row.
MWH has an optics problem with hosting a large gathering. So, while omicron was still an issue earlier this year, they decided to go virtual again.
I did this virtual race to keep my Coldwell Banker Elite Grand Prix race finish streak alive. The Hospital Foundation is a good cause, so the $30 fee is not too painful. I tried to convince the Grand Prix director to drop any virtual races from their schedule. After two years, if an organization can not figure out how to hold an in-person race, it never will.
On Monday, my spring HVAC inspection found multiple issues with my 16-year-old system. An estimate to repair was $2500 and to replace $7300. Still, I registered for this virtual 5km. I may need a go-fund-me page for the $30.
My regular Tuesday morning run is 4 miles. I decided to use this route for my virtual race. If you don’t know, a 4-mile course is a certified 5km. A 5km course must be at least 5km long to be certified. A race director won’t attract many future runners by using something longer than 5000 meters, but it still is certified.
In step with this year’s weather conditions, there was light rain at about 55 degrees.
I wore compression shorts, a singlet over a long-sleeved shirt, neck gaiter, gloves, and my Saucony Triumph 19 shoes. These shoes are getting bouncier.
I didn’t plan to run any harder than my typical Tuesday 4 miles. My course crosses the Chatham Bridge and goes up William Street to the left on Kenmore Avenue. I turned left on Charlotte Street and left on Caroline Street to avoid the construction on Sophia Street. Finally, I turn right on William, back across the Chatham Bridge, and home.
As I was coming down Caroline Street, Bert Jacoby honked at me. He and KC have moved back to the area. Is he almost a master?
My finish time was 37:28 for just under 4 miles.
I don’t pick up my race shirt until April 27. So, I don’t have any race photos.
My Grand Prix finish streak is now at 25 races. By 2028, it will be in triple digits, and in 2035 I’ll catch Nancy Cooper’s record. On-on.