abusing other schools' fans in the offseason

There are a lot of transplanted Midwesterners out here in California. I run a lot of "fun" runs (well, it seems like a fun idea when I'm initially signing up, when I'm out there dying and cursing the aging process during the race, I seriously question my sanity) and was participating in the 5K portion of the Davis Stampede yesterday morning.

As usual, I wore some Iowa gear (a black Nike 1/4 zip storm pullover, same thing the football coaches wear on the sidelines) to run in (I also had an Iowa football tee on underneath) to race in, and I almost always get a comment or two "are you from/did you go to Iowa?" and often, I meet other exiles from home in this fashion, or, I hear "GO HAWKS!" screamed as I run by.

Anyway, the Stampede is a pretty big event - over 3800 signed up for the 5K/10K/half marathon this year (900+ in the 5K), and while I was walking around at the start, I saw a woman who looked to be in her 20s/early 30s wearing a Minnesota hat. Didn't say anything, but, to my surprise, after the 5K started (and I ran like total crap, but that's another story) she passed me at the 1.6 mile mark (I'm obnoxiously geeky and I usually have either my Garmin Forerunner 205 or 305 on in a race)... I let her go, I was feeling like warmed over death and often you'll end up catching some of the people that pass you in a short race like this because they go out too fast near the end.

With about a 1/4 mile left, I look up, and there she is, now looking even more trashed than I certainly felt, and somehow, I found the strength to pick up my pace, and I passed her, but I could resist myself ... I said "GO HAWKS!" as I ran past, and I kept looking back over my shoulder the rest of the way, wondering if I'd have the strength to hold off a late pissed off Minnesota fan charge, but I finished strong with no sign of her, and my reward was a couple of minutes of dry heaves at the finish. Totally worth it. I hate the Gophers. :D

I did say "GO HAWKS!" with a smile. I think... (I always see people in Michigan gear around here too; there was an older guy before the race - probably pushing 60 - that was wearing a Michigan hat and I was so tempted to say "Brady Hoke is a joke!")...