a runner is born

I paid the money. I got the t-shirt. I crossed the finish line. Does that mean I'm "officially" a runner now? Before you answer that, please be aware that I usually blaze along at a clip of 15 minutes per mile. (That's 1.609 K for those of you outside the US.) I'm pretty sure there are people that can crawl faster than that. But, I wasn't last today, so that's a good thing.

It was an interesting experience...my first race ever. A little over a thousand people milled around at the starting line, waiting for the signal to go. The man in front of me was beyond annoying, though. Clearly, he was hoping to meet someone there, because he kept turning around and looking back. That doesn't sound like such a big deal, but with everyone standing almost shoulder-to-shoulder, one man directly in front of you facing the wrong way has the same effect as someone getting on a crowded elevator and facing the back wall. It's just wrong and uncomfortable.

But then the girl said, "GO!" and Mr. They're Late! turned around and started running. The sound of all those feet slapping the pavement was incredible; almost like the sound of a waterfall. I loved it. It didn't take long for me to fall to the back of the pack, but that was fine. I was expecting that, and at least I wasn't last. I run until I can't breathe, then I slow to a walk for a while, then start running again. It works for me. For now.

There were two races being run at the same time; a 5K and a 10K. At one point in the route, the two courses veered off from each other, and then came back together to end at the same place. As the finish line finally came into view, I was starting to be passed by some of the faster 10K runners. Holy crap, are these guys fast! They seem to just float along effortlessly on the balls of their feet...barely touching the ground. They had worked up a sweat, but weren't breathing hard at all. I was in awe as I panted and wheezed and willed myself to keep running from there to the finish. I think the time was 41:something when I went across the line. Results will be posted later today.

Whatever I ended up with, my goal is to be a little faster next time. I mean...as slow as I am, there's really only one way to go, isn't there? My daughter wants to do a race with me in a little less than a month. I'm going to be ready for that one.