Two days ago (New Year's Day), in my hometown of Fort Worth, Texas, I did my 13th footrace since Labor Day and my 139th overall. The race, known as the Resolution Solution (get it?), started at ten o'clock, by which time the sun was well into the eastern sky and the temperature had gone from frigid (35º Fahrenheit when I woke up) to merely cold. I wore a long-sleeved cotton shirt over my running jersey, but regretted it about a mile into the race, which was an out-and-back course along the Trinity River.
I did the first mile in 6:49, which is what I expected. (I was thinking 6:50 when I glanced at my watch at the first mile marker.) The second mile had a couple of small dips (under overpasses) and was into the wind, so my speed decreased. I did it in 7:06. I knew the wind would help me in the second half of the race, and it did. I did the third mile in 6:38 and ran the final .107 miles at a mile pace of 5:20.91. That gave me an overall pace of 6:47.89 for 3.107 miles. (Elapsed time = 21:07.34.) Five days earlier, I ran a 6:46.34. I didn't feel quite as good during the second race, so I'm happy with my time. I finished first of at least three men in my age group and received a nice medal for my efforts. (Results have not yet been posted.)
After the race, the runners were treated to champagne (I don't imbibe), muffins, fruit, and other goodies. I had fun cheering on the runners who finished after I did. As I was telling a friend, I can rarely get the adults to sprint for the finish, but the kids are different. When I yell, "Come on, sprint! You're almost there!," the kids act as though they were shot out of a cannon. This tells me that they were dogging it. Perhaps the adults were already at their limit. People were still finishing at 50 minutes. There were old people, people with limps, people with dogs, people with baby carriages, and even a woman in a wheelchair. I am more impressed by these people than I am by the elite runners. Just getting to the starting line is a struggle for them.
Some of the runners, I am sad to say, are broken down, physically. I don't know whether to feel sorry for them or to blame them. Some of them, I am sure, are addicted to running and can't stop. They are probably damaging their bodies by doing so. Some appear to be emaciated. I hope I never get to that point. If my body ever gives out, I'll return solely to cycling, which is easier on the bones and joints. I view my running career as a gift. I enjoy it tremendously, but know that it could be taken away from me at any time. It's nice to have something as enjoyable and healthy as cycling to fall back on.
