Signing up for the Bark & Brew 5K was truly a last-minute decision and it ended up being a very wise decision. I knew the race that benefits Leader Dogs for the Blind was coming up and wanted to do it, but I had a triathlon the day before and didn’t think it would be smart to race two days in a row. Well, I clearly rethought that. My coworker’s wife works for Leader Dogs and they are helping raise one of the puppies. He asked me a couple times if I was going to do the race. He got me thinking about it, then I saw that my friend Steve was planning to do it after racing a 5K the day before. Having so many running friends can warp my decision-making by making it seem normal and reasonable to race two days in a row.

As Saturday night rolled around I didn’t seem to be too sore from the triathlon. I didn’t think it would be smart to race all-out and questioned if I could be disciplined enough to take it easy so I wouldn’t tweak something. Online registration was still available as were shirts in my size, so I made it official at 9pm the night before. It would benefit a great cause, it took place two miles from home on a course I know extremely well, I’d see some friends, there would be donuts and pizza, and most importantly, lots of cute dogs! How could I resist?

The race was due to start at 9am on Sunday, June 8. It was staged next to Rochester Mills Beer Company in downtown Rochester and it was nice to leave home at 8am after having to leave home three hours earlier the morning before. They had advised people to go early because the registration line may be long. I waited about five minutes at 8:15 and the line only grew in size after that. Had I registered sooner, there were a couple of options for early packet pickup in the days leading up to the race.

Because I usually need a mile or two just to loosen up, I ran part of the course backwards into Rochester Municipal Park. I had used my foam roller that morning and my warm up jog felt okay, so I was relieved that I should be able to pull this off after all. Knowing the area so well was a benefit because I knew enough to use the restroom at the park before running back to the race site. Sure enough, the lines for the porta potties were out of control by the time I got back!

I love being a part of a community that is home to a resource as valuable as Leader Dogs. I know a number of people who have helped raise the dogs, who work for the organization, and I’ve attended one of the puppy-raising classes where I watched techniques for teaching the dogs how to behave. I am always so moved when I hear stories about the impact these dogs can make on a person’s life and how it can provide them with freedom and independence they may not have otherwise. They do extremely valuable work so that was the main reason I really wanted to do this race. They usually do a race in the winter as well, but sometimes I’m iffy about slippery conditions or I’m due to run much longer than three miles while in marathon training. I’m so glad I finally made it out to one of their events.

I spotted Steve near the starting line and he joked about how he was an “influencer” because he helped inspire me to get out there! He’s an inspiration in many ways. At 72 years old, he was running a 5K on back-to-back days! I hope I get the opportunity to be like him.

I had a hunch I might see some Infinite Multisport Triathlon Club teammates out there, and sure enough, I spotted Stephanie! We saw a couple other teammates as well and agreed to meet up after the race for more photos.

My coworker told me that Gram, the puppy they share, would be there so I was on the lookout. He’s pretty unique because he essentially looks like a black Golden Retriever. I saw a dog that could have been him so I asked his handler who confirmed it. I was so happy to get a picture with that good boy!

The race announced that 1,100 people had registered which was great news. That should raise a lot of money for Leader Dogs. With such a large crowd and knowing that I could be among the faster runners, I made sure I stayed close to the starting line. I loved seeing all of the good dogs, but I didn’t want to get stuck behind people walking.

It was a great morning for racing, but it felt warm pretty quickly once we got moving. We headed into a residential part of downtown Rochester that took us right up a challenging hill. As expected, I got sucked into the excitement of the atmosphere and found myself breathing heavily from the start. So much for being disciplined and taking it easy. Although we had to climb one hill, a couple blocks later we ran back down one and I regained momentum. Next we ran to the park and did a loop there. I got a hand slap from my buddy Joe who was cheering for the runners. I run around the park all the time and enjoyed what is truly my hometown course. “Enjoyed” is relative though – I’m not especially fond of 5Ks! I always want to push myself and running at my threshold pace can be brutal. I’d rather slow down and run longer than do a short race but feel like I’m dying the whole time!

We ran out of the park to the riverwalk around the library and back to Rochester Mills, where we hit one more incline before making a couple turns to the finish.

I know it was asking a lot to run a fast 5K the day after doing a triathlon that took me three hours. Obviously my legs weren’t very fresh. But still, it’s amusing to me that I ran a faster 5K at the end of the Dexter-Ann Arbor half marathon a week earlier. I think I prefer rolling along at a more reasonable pace for a while then gradually speed up as I go and finish strong. If I build up to the speedy pace it feels more doable. Shooting out at a fast pace right from the start is much more uncomfortable for me.

Despite the discomfort of trying to run fast, this race went really well. I had predicted that I’d finish under 24 minutes and I did. They didn’t hand out age group awards, but I did place second in my category. I found it funny that I was the tenth female finisher at both this race and my triathlon.

After getting a photo with the big dog, I went back to the finish line and saw both Stephanie and Steve.

I didn’t see Gram finish, but my coworker shared this finishing photo and I loved it so much I had to include it.

I hung out with Stephanie and Steve at the post-race party, taking more pictures and enjoying donuts and pizza. We got coupons for a choice of a donut or pizza, but someone gave me their ticket so I got one of each!

It was fun to hang out with some fellow “bees” from Infinite Multisport.

Of course one of the highlights of the day was being surrounded by so many adorable dogs. There was a list of rules for people who brought their dogs to participate, such as being leashed, well-behaved, no excessive barking, etc. Plenty of future Leader Dogs were there too.

It doesn’t get much better than that! I’m so glad I finally made it to one of the Leader Dogs’ events. Even though it meant a busy weekend of racing for me, my body cooperated and it was a blast.

– Janet

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