What's worse is he and a female racer that could have graduated high school with my mum kept up a steady flow of conversation almost the entire time.
That is, I think so, as it was hard to hear everything over my belabored breathing.
I did manage a burst of speed in the last quarter mile that saw me pass several sectarians and even a few octogenarians....oh, the small victories in life!
Ever see that US commercial about the middle aged man starting his fitness plan one sunny morning? He jogs out on the street with an intense and purposeful look on his face. He appears to be really giving his training his all....all to the tune of "Rocky"......then a little old man in his eighties flies past him and says..."On your left sonny!" All the intensity pours out of the middle aged man and he is left with only a look of "what the heck" on his face. Have you seen that commercial?.....Yeah, I had about 36 minutes and 30 seconds of that...:)
But, it is all good. Even though I poke fun at myself and not take myself too seriously, this really was a big victory for me. I set a goal...a pretty lofty one compared to the kind of shape I was in only 3 months ago. I kept training through pain, injury, and the stress of every day life. I got out there and lined up on the starting line and left nothing on the field.
My physical accomplishment will not break any records, nor be recorded in the annals of great runners, but... I did it. It is a long story for another time, but there were a few doctors that at one time predicted I would be in a wheel chair by age forty. I am glad to prove them wrong. I can also say from the couple hundred runners I saw, there was only one that was near my size, so was glad to represent the big man.
Now, if they had a 5k run followed by a bench press contest...I may have moved up a few places in the ranking...and I know I would have had a chance at the title if the 5k was followed by a pizza eating contest! I say this, because the winners of the 1mile, 5k, and 10k all received a years worth of free Buffalo Wild Wings...not sure how these two things go together (running and high fat food)...but, it is what it is in a local event. (The 1mile was won by a 8 year old girl who ran 6min 36sec. I did not hear the winning times for the 5k or 10k)
OK, now it is time to beef up my weight training, get back to shedding body fat, and train for the Halloween run on October 22, 2011. My goal here is to not gas, run non stop and beat the 30 minute mark. A lofty goal to be sure, but I now have a much better appreciation for running outside.
Thanks for the read,
BDS
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