Saturday, October 25, 2008

I'm a meanie...

I ran my first 5k today. However, as it turns out, USU doesn't know how to measure. It was only about a 4.25 k. My wife, who has been very consistent in her times (within 10 seconds or so), finished the race 7 minutes early. We went to Google maps, and sure enough, the race was way off. We were nowhere close to 5k.

Anyway, I discovered today that I'm a mean person. The race was hard for me because I have only run once in the past month. But I buckled down, and ran the entire 5k...er, 4.25k without stopping to walk. In the final stretch, my wife was about 40 yards ahead of me, and two girls were about 30 yards behind. Well, right at the end I could hear the girls making their move. They were getting closer and closer. I picked up the pace, and so did they. By the very end, they were right behind me, but I managed to stay ahead of them, and finish in front.

It kind of felt good, but then I realized these poor girls had probably said to themselves, 'let's beat that guy in the green shirt. They had set a simple goal, and I had to go be a stinker and keep them from achieving that goal. I probably ruined their day. I really felt pretty bad about it, I could have slowed up and let them pass me.

So there you have it, revelation of the night. I'm a stinker.

But, I'm no longer angry. The final play was tonight. And I will miss it.

4 comments:

Michelle said...

Okay, first of all whoever mapped that course should be shot..well maybe not shot...but hurt badly...having run a few races that is disheartening to think "wow, I cut 7 minutes off my time, I am so awesome." and then it is dashed because some bonehead did not mark out an EXACT 5k!!! Second, you are a meanie...well sort of, I know that I have looked ahead in a race and just thought "Oh I can pick it up just a little to beat the man in the blue shirt" and it feels so good to have that small victory even if you kind of stunk up the whole race. But congrats on winning those girls and way to go on the 4.25 mile race!

Suzanne said...

You were AWESOME in the race! Short though it may have been! I really should've hung back there at the end so we could have finished together -- I'd give up my 20 second victory to finish with you!

Rene Weston-Eborn said...

Way to go! I am trying to "get into" the entire exercise thing. So were you like the guy in the movie Run Fat Boy Run ? :) Next thing ya know you will be out there running a marathon.

Marion Jensen said...

LOL. I haven't seen that movie, but I've seen the trailer, and yeah, I'm a bout as in good a shape as the guy there. I get winded after just stretching out. I think the next 5k I'll do will either a) be on a Segway, or b) be a 5m (5 meter).