Submitted by Jennifer Salter on

When my husband Tzvika suggested that we do a 10k race in Israel over the Passover holiday, I agreed. It sounded like fun to do a race somewhere other than Toronto, and even though my training over the winter was spotty, I knew I could run 10 kilometres. Tzvika found us a small race in Dalton, in the Galilee in the north of Israel. The appeal for him is that it was on a kibbutz which boasts one of the best wineries in the country! We got there just 15 minutes before the race was to start, rushed to tie our shoes and find a place to pee. My pre-race drink had been a large cappuccino from a local gas station. Our kids were there with my in-laws. The weather was totally perfect, hot for racing but clear and sunny. Despite a poorly executed 10k, I actually came 2nd in the entire race! The reason for this is that there were few serious runners. My time at 49 minutes was not in the least bit spectacular - and 7 minutes slower than my personal best for that distance - but it was hot and I was dehydrated. Overall, it was great fun, and fun in and of itself to race and not take it at all seriously! And I got a trophy!