5K Race on Martha's Vineyard

I had a great time this past Sunday, May 25th, when I ran in the 21st Annual Oak Bluffs Memorial Day 5K Run!  The day began with a ferry ride from the town of Falmouth (on Cape Cod) to Oak Bluffs (on Martha's Vineyard).  Of course, since we were paranoid about being on time for the ferry, we arrived with 45 minutes to spare -- this left us with plenty of time for photo opportunities.

My Daughter, Brianna, & I -- Waiting for the Ferry to Oak Bluffs

My Running Buddy, Ann, & I -- Waiting for the Ferry to Oak Bluffs

Our Mascot for the Day -- Louie

Brianna, Ann & Her Niece, Rachel

Finally, it was time to board the Island Queen Ferry.  At first, it cruised slower than my race pace, but once we were in the open waters, the ferry began to really move -- the wind in my face felt great!

The Atlantic Ocean -- Our View from the Ferry

Michael (Ann's Nephew) on the Ferry

Thirty minutes after boarding the Island Queen, we reached our destination -- yeah!!!

So Happy to Be in Martha's Vineyard on a Beautiful Day!

We had to hustle to race headquarters, the Wesley Hotel, in order to sign up for the race by the 10 am deadline.

The Wesley Hotel

There was a kid's one mile fun run at 10:30 am.  We used this time to pose for more photos.

The Fearsome Foursome -- Pre-Race

Our race began at 11 am.  It was the most beautiful course, with at least half of the total distance right on the water.  We could not ask for more perfect weather conditions!

We all finished with respectable times.  I certainly cannot say that it was my best performance, but it ranked up there as a very fun and quite scenic race.  I just wish I would have kept my mind focused on the uphills (I admit it, I walked three times, but for very brief periods -- truth is, I really did not need to walk -- ugh, so why do I sometimes do that)?

I am Crossing the Finish Line

It was time for lunch.  We found a great place to eat outside.  I had a mudslide -- I am a very cheap date!

A Rare Moment -- Judy With a Mudslide

We had to catch the 2:15 pm ferry back to the Cape.  It was sad to leave the Vineyard, but we vowed to run this race again next year.

On Our Way Back to the Ferry for the Return Trip

Congratulations to Rachel on Finishing Her First Race!

We celebrated back on the Cape with delicious home made ice cream.  We made plans for some upcoming summer races.

Michael is a Natural Runner!  He's Talking About Doing a Marathon...

Thanks to Mary Jo, Brianna, and of course, Louie, for being our support staff.  I hope you all run with us next year!

Louie, Mary Jo (Ann's Sister), & Michael