Yet Another Raptor dominates—for the first time!

Post date: Jan 18, 2013 2:35:32 AM

May 22, 2011

It was a beautiful day at a beautiful park (Hellyer, a county park just south of San Jose) and yet another Raptor entered the winner's spotlight! Although she is leaving for a business trip to New York this afternoon, Laura decided to enter the 5K (she had not been running them before because she wanted to see Annabel finish but now that Annabel was running the 10K, she could run) and came away with an age group win! Not third, or second, but first. Now Annabel is not the only runner in the family with hardware and Laura should have very happy eastward plane flight.

I blurred it but they they are! The Raptor's awesome "just barely out of the youth category" contingent.

Laura was the sole Raptor in the 5K but there were three in the 10K. the first Raptor finisher was Tarq, who finished an outstanding fifth overall and second in his age group. Tarq informed me that if and when Claire beats him in a race he has promised to take her to Ruth's Chris's Steak House, which will not be an inexpensive meal! Looking at how strong Tarq looked today, Claire may have to lower her culinary aspirations to maybe In-n-Out Burger for the time being! Okay, now that I've dissed Claire I'll turn around and heap praise on her. That was one fantaboulus 10K, girl! Claire not only won the women's division by a wide margin, but she did it with very little strain and told me she could have gone significantly faster, had the need arisen.

Claire near the finish. She was going very fast here, passing 5K runners left and right but looked more like she'd run maybe 600 yards, not six miles.

Claire's partner in the 10K was the girl who never says no to a race, Annabel, fresh from running the 3000 and the hurdles yesterday at the Running Rebels meet. Not only did she race yesterday but this was her first 10K ever. She ran stride for stride with Claire (they were talking! Having a conversation while they bombed along!) until three miles when Claire pulled away a bit and Annabel was left to only win her age group by a wide margin!

Annabel pours it on at the end. Um. . .she doesn't look very tired either. Both she and Claire recovered incredibly quickly. In both their cases they were laughing and talking in well under a minute!

So, as we all walked back to our cars there was a lot of clanking as everyone's medals swung to and fro. We agreed that is a pleasant sound!

Claire walked away with not only medals but actual winnings! She was presented with a check for $120 worth of merchandise from Road Runner Sports for her first woman's finish. Actual loot. How cool. That's the Brazen director on Claire's left.

Claire and Annabel high-five each other after the race. Without hesitation I'll say these are two of the coolest girls one could ever meet. Well, of course, they're Raptors!

Tarq with Claire and Annabel attempts a wink but looks more like she has something in her eye!