Banner week

It's been a good week for running. Not once, but twice, I put together back-to-back outings. The weather was simply too good to pass up and I'm sure we'll get hit hard eventually, but as I've said all week -- taking advantage! I got out for an easy 5K yesterday afternoon. Just a steady trip around the neighborhood with the intention of doubling that distance with the Sunday running group.

So this morning I rolled out of bed and saw grey sky. But it was a balmy 10C and within half an hour I was ready to go. I arrived at the meeting spot and found out there was a 10K race this morning. I wasn't about to register -- mostly because I had no cash or credit with me. And I didn't want to race today. Or did I?

Luckily there were still a couple of groups going out today. The half-marathon group was doing 13K today, but I didn't like the route they were doing. So I went with the 5K group that was doing a 5-1/2K route. Good enough, I thought. Five of us ventured out. They were a beginner group, having just graduated from the "learn to run" program. They were nice and chatty the entire way. About halfway, one of them noticed my longsleeve shirt -- my Chicago marathon souvenir.

Today's Running Partner: Did you run that?
Me: Yes. It was awesome. I highly recommend it if or when you choose to run one.
Today's Running Partner, in awe: What are you doing running with us then?!
Me: I'm not training for anything. This is maintenance, and frankly, I'm not even sure I can call it that since I run so sporadically these days.
Today's Running Partner: We just started running like six weeks ago.
Me: Well, you're doing quite well. I started a year ago.
Today's Running Partner: What do you mean you ran a marathon after just one year? Are we holding you back?
Me: Trust me... you guys are more my pace. And yes, I'm a little off my tree for jumping straight for the marathon -- though I did my first half-mary leading up to the big race. I picked an online plan and stuck as honestly as I could to it. It seemed to work, but it was hard. No doubt. But so worth it.

Okay.. so they were slightly slower than my slowest comfortable pace, but I remember back in the day when I struggled with the faster kids. I still do. But they were a fun group. We reached home base and stretched out a little bit.

And then I was feeling a little bit unfulfilled. Because I guess I had come into today with the intention of running at least 10K. So after the group left, I jogged back down to the boardwalk and did another 6K by myself. I thought about doing the same course we had just finished, but in reverse. Then I crossed paths with some of the 10K racers who were making the last turn to the finish line. I cheered a few of them on, and then maybe I somehow fell into race mode, because I zeroed in on couple of runners down the road from me and I desperately wanted to catch them.

I caught one, and by the time I reached the next runner, we were within sight of the finish line. So I just ran beside him, encouraging him to push it just a little bit more. Someone yelled "three minutes!" ... and I realized that as we made the sprint through the finish line, that had meant 3 minutes before the clock hit the 1-hr mark. It was kind of neat to hear people cheering at the end of your run, even if it wasn't really for you since you weren't part of the race but one can still pretend. I love this community spirit of runners.