1.1.2022: New Year
COVID-19, “The Rona Era”
Bye 2021, Hello 2022. Last year my tradition of running First Run Lowell was cancelled because of COVID. This year, with proper COVID-19 precautions, First Run resumed. For the last eight years, this has been my New Year’s day tradition. The first run, the first race of the new year. I was excited to hit the pavement again to start the new year. This year was a bit different. The registration and start of the race had been moved. We had to fill out a COVID questionnaire before pack pick up and wearing mask while running was suggested but not enforced. I wore my mask for the entire race. And the start time was later, 11 a.m. Normally it’s 8 or 9 a.m.
Many new adjustments. This morning it is warm and rainy. I do not like to run in the rain. Unfortunately I don’t have a say in the outcome of the weather. Packet pickup was from 9-10:45a.m. I wanted to be there early to find parking. I was parked by 9:04 a.m. While walking to packet pick up, I saw a Market Basket and Marshalls had been built. Before it was just land. Clearly a lot has happened in 18 months of COVID.
Instead of the VFW, we went to the Bowling Alley to get our stuff. Walking in I was greeted by 2022 balloons before heading to the volunteer table to get my bib and swag.
Everyone was just setting up. I was hear very early. I decided to go back to my car and wait before the start of the race. Sitting in my car, I could observe the runners who slowly started to come in. Many people had on festive 2022 New Year’s Day outfits. Others were wearing shorts. It was rainy and cold but you do you. There were kids with parents, groups of friends and couples all heading to get their bib number. Some had prepared for the rain, I did not. I thought 40 something degrees, it was be a nice run. Wasn’t expecting it to be a wet one.
Around 10:40, I started to walk back to the start of the race. I saw lots of people. I tried to look for my BGR sole sistas but I couldn’t find them. I saw two other black women in the crowd. Those two weren’t my crew. I wasn’t expecting racial diversity at this race. I thought it was be easy to find my crew and I was wrong.
I hope that I would see them before I left. Anyway, I got in the corral and was ready to run. We started at 11 a.m. sharp. I forgot that this race is always tight at the start because everyone is all around you. Since it was raining, I had to also avoid and be mindful of the water and big puddles.
For the first of the year I ran 3.21 miles( a bit over a 5k) at 9:40mile/pace. My pelvic floor felt good and I felt strong. I’m going to say, this is a sign of things to come.
