Since I was gone for over two weeks and didn’t get home from vacation until the first full weekend of August, I procrastinated finding and registering for an August run. I knew there were a few to choose from and when I got home I figured I’d run the Kornfest 5K. Problem was I found out just days before that there was no 5K, it was a 10K. I figured it was the price I had to pay for procrastinating and embraced, albeit slowly, the idea that I was going to run another 10K. It was like the first (and only) time I went to Kornfest about 10 years ago and found out there was no corn; at least not on the Friday night when the fest opened. I have since turned my back on the illiterate festival held in Holmen.
I heard it was a flat course, but I failed to realize how flat and boring it was until I was running it. Before the pistol start the organizer warned us that somewhere along the course a (dead) deer spent too much time and to not inhale. Thankfully I never smelled it as I ran. The positive thing about the race is that it was mostly run on a packed dirt trail and it was shaded near the start and finish. I ran strong and finished it in great time.
My husband and kids met me at the race and my kids ran across the finish line with me, which was awesome. I arrived at the race alone and ran without a partner, which made for a lonely race, but as I was running I had only myself to praise for my pace. There were few spectators, in fact there were few runners, but the volunteers were cross-country runners from the local college which in turn made most of them great supporters, with the exception of the guy who was texting.
I did find out the origins of Kornfest and feel a little more positive about the literacy of Holmen’s residents. There used to be a cannery in Holmen that canned corn. No one I asked knew why it was spelled with a ‘K’ but I was content thinking it was related to the name of the cannery, which no one knew either.
About an hour or so after the race there was a parade that we stuck around for which was really nice and we all enjoyed. Next year I’ll try a different August race, unless I procrastinate.
