Ran Gainesville's July 4th Melon Run

As alluded to yesterday, this morning I ran the Florida Track Club's annual 4th of July three-mile race, called the Jack Gamble Melon Run.  Held at Albert Ray Massey "Westside" Park off NW 34th Street here in Gainesville, I've run it a number of times in the past and have come to accept the sad truth that since this event seems to attract the most hard-core, competitive entrants, then there's no point in hanging around after it's over, hoping to get an age-category award. Besides, it's summertime and this hilly race course, coupled with the expected heat and high humidity, tends to test the ability of many naive runners to simply finish it. The race began at eight, but I got to the park at 7:30, just in time to snag one of the last available parking spots. Just walking around the place amidst the 73 degree temperature and foggy, 100% humidity, I could portend a challenging race since there seemed to be an inordinate amount of people there.  Then I discovered that they had changed the course...but in the end that was all right.  Since they don't time runners at the start...only the end...it took 14 seconds once the race began for me to actually get to the starting line, so in my mind at least I deduct that amount from my recorded finishing time.  I ran the first mile or so just to lightly run and get into a nice, easy groove.  Once that was accomplished I found myself gradually picking up the speed and passing lots of people.  By the end I was pushing hard and was tired, finishing with an official time of 28 minutes 31 seconds, some 1:36 slower than last year's Melon Run time when I weighed about twenty pounds less.  I will say this: I could have gone out running harder and maybe finished closer to my 2024 time, but I'd also be more exhausted while facing a more demanding recovery.  That's significant since I intend to run the Depot Parkrun 5K tomorrow morning, and then explore the new West End Parkrun course with others Sunday morning.  All in all, this race was a pleasant experience...the volunteers were great!  And along with the celebratory Independence Day vibes, plenty of chopped-up watermelon slices were there for everyone.  You can view today's results by clicking HERE. By the way, I noticed three other Depot Parkrun "regulars" besides myself who were in attendance for today's Melon Run...let's see if they also turn out for tomorrow...