Lee Duane Todacheene Memorial 5K Soothing

A computer-generated rooster crow rattled me from a short-lived slumber at 5:35 a.m. this morning.

My cell phone on the fritz, I rigged my laptop into an alarm clock half expecting to wake up with the sun full bore and the race over. Turns out a few repetitive "Cock-A-Doodle-Doo's" at full volume put a halt to REM sleep, no sweat.

Popping in a pair of contacts drier than the Saudi desert, scrounging the floor for a Samford track shirt, I pulled past the dumpster and up to West Aztec Boulevard at 6 a.m. on my way to Diné College in Shiprock (OK, so it still took me 15 minutes and two "snoozes" to get out of bed).

After stopping at a gas station to jam four new AA batteries into the Canon PowerShot S1 IS, I pulled up in time to see race organizer Lenny Esson and his wife slide out of their vehicle and open the gym doors for registration.

The small group that gathered in front of the gym didn't remind me of the Olympic Trials. Making small talk, many of them seemed as sleepy as I was. But once the runners toed the line, a familiar sensation washed over me: adrenaline-laced happiness.

The runners took off down the street and it seemed like anything was possible (except for the two in the back that hesitated for 10 seconds and then started walking). After they disappeared from sight and Esson's Jeep reappeared, my eyes craned for a look at the lead runner as I readied my camera for the finish.

There were no ovations as competitors rolled in at slower-than-record pace. But instead of the familiar look of frustration that accompanies what seems like a majority of faces at the collegiate level, every expression glowed with a sort of Disney-level serendipity.

Whether it was the toddler pushing his own buggy over the curb or the 65-year-old completing the 5K by jogging through the finish, everyone heralded the awards show with a sense of contentment and accomplishment.

Well, there was the one man who showed up nine minutes after the start (he confused the 9 a.m. kid's run with the 5K, which started at 8 a.m.) and proceeded to run a 21:23, which would've won the race had he started with the field.

In any case, you guys reminded me how soothing a 5K road race can be. I'm going to have to enter one in a couple of months if I can continue getting back in shape (but don't expect me to be smiling if I lose).

Happy Memorial Day everybody. You can find my race story in tomorrow's Daily Times.

Stay true and keep pounding,
Christopher