BARC Pay Your Dues 5K Race Report

Early in the week, I ditched the idea of traveling to San Antonio to participate in the Carrabba's Classic Half Marathon. Not that I couldn't have benefitted from running another warm weather half (well make that scorching), but I just wasn't ready to make the drive. Plus there was some other news in the early part of the week that also squelched those plans.

So an event that I haven't had a chance to do came into clear view: the Bay Area Running Club (BARC) Pay Your Dues 5K at Sylvan Rodriguez Park in Clear Lake City.

BARC is one of three clubs that I have a membership, including the Houston Area Road Runners Association (HARRA) and The Woodlands Running Club (TWRC). When I started to get involved in the running community, Jay Lee and Veronica Hoge were two of many individuals - and BARC members -- that welcomed me and treated me well.

To show my support, I became a member of the Bay Area Running Club a few years ago.

My original plan was to get up and run two miles with Leeann Rosser and Mary Carter from TWRC, run the two miles back and then get up and drive to Clear Lake City.

However, after an hour on the stationary bike at the gym from 11:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., I didn't get to bed until 2:30 a.m. and then I couldn't get to sleep until around 4 a.m. I dropped those plans, but I still got up at 6:10 a.m., showered, grabbed something to eat and then headed quickly to the south side of the greater Houston area for the second straight Saturday.

The Pay Your Dues 5K was one that you had to predict your time -- and then not wear any type of timing device. The course was a sweet one much like Run The Woodlands 5K -- completely off any road, but also a simple out and back. BARC, with their partnership with the Clear Lake Fitness Club, manned a water stop at about the 1.1-mile mark on the way out. A very, very nice setup.

I had predicted earlier in the week, when I filled in my registration form, a 31:42 time.

I ran the 10K in Texas City at a 10:17 pace the Saturday before; therefore, I thought that I could carve a little bit off of that and went with the prediction that I did.

However, I ran pretty comfortably and posted a 31:19 -- still a long ways off of a could weather 28-minute 5K PR, but I'm starting to run - and race - my way back into some semblance of shape.

The 23-second separation gave me a top 20 finish out of about 40-50 runners and earned me a BARC water bottle.

The one thing that makes BARC such a great club is its people. This is one club without any prima donas from a personality standpoint -- and that, I think, is why I feel like I fit in so well.

When I got there, Alfonso Torres and Jay Lee (On The Run co-owner) were working the registration table. In no time, I saw race director extraordinaire Robby Sabban and Joe Carey, the new HARRA president. And then the hit parade of people included Stephen Milford, Ben Harvie, Robert Lott, Guy Rozas, Vicki Davis and so many more. Even though I don't get the opportunity to attend many club socials, BARC - and Clear Lake Fitness Club for that matter -- really, really treat people how they want to be treated.

This morning was well worth the drive, my time and effort. Hopefully, this year's BARC Pub Crawl will work into my schedule.