Have you ever gone to a race, intending to do one event but ended up doing two?
No? Riiight... See because only crazy people do that.
No? Riiight... See because only crazy people do that.
About two months ago, I signed up to run The Franklin Classic. It's a local race here in Tennessee with a focus on raising money for Mercy Community Healthcare. Mercy provides service to those in the Middle Tennessee community who lack health insurance or are under insured. The race was held on Labor Day and you could sign up for the 10k, the 5, or both.
I had thought about doing both, but ended up deciding that with as little as I'd been running lately, the 10k would be plenty challenging, especially because I would try and break my personal record time of 58:07, recorded during a training run for The Franklin Half Marathon this past June. My previous personal best time recorded during a race was 1:04:38, which I ran during the 2013 Fifth Third River Bank Run.
I had thought about doing both, but ended up deciding that with as little as I'd been running lately, the 10k would be plenty challenging, especially because I would try and break my personal record time of 58:07, recorded during a training run for The Franklin Half Marathon this past June. My previous personal best time recorded during a race was 1:04:38, which I ran during the 2013 Fifth Third River Bank Run.
And so, when I showed up the morning of the Franklin Classic, rising before the dawn, my intention was to run the 10k, say hi to some friends, and be out of there and back home, showered and napping before everyone else finished the 5k. Oh, the best laid plans of mice and men... I got there early enough and check-in ran smoothly enough that I still had about 45 minutes before the race. I wandered around, snapping a few photos, and appreciated how well organized everything was. Start2Finish was putting this race on and I've never been disappointed with what a tremendous job they do. Everything was well signed, very organized, and the volunteers were very pleasant and helpful. | |
After a brief nap in my car (I am NOT a morning runner, so early start times are the death of me), I laced up my shoes, and started to make my way towards the start line. I was grateful to run in to some of my South Side running club buddies who were also running the 10k that morning.
The pace at the front end felt a little fast, but I tried not to worry about it as I set off, hoping that a residual injury from when I broke my leg wouldn't give me any trouble. It had been acting up lately, but usually not until the end of my runs, so I figured I'd push through until it became an issue.
The 10k course wasn't horrible; in fact, it was pretty nice. Mostly rolling hills (it's impossible to find a flat course in Tennessee) and beautiful countryside. Nothing as intense as the hills in my half marathon, and my hill training made it so I continued to push past others who stopped to walk the ascents.
The pace at the front end felt a little fast, but I tried not to worry about it as I set off, hoping that a residual injury from when I broke my leg wouldn't give me any trouble. It had been acting up lately, but usually not until the end of my runs, so I figured I'd push through until it became an issue.
The 10k course wasn't horrible; in fact, it was pretty nice. Mostly rolling hills (it's impossible to find a flat course in Tennessee) and beautiful countryside. Nothing as intense as the hills in my half marathon, and my hill training made it so I continued to push past others who stopped to walk the ascents.
I still felt fairly strong coming in to the finish line, and although my old injury was acting up, I pushed myself to a strong finish. I thought I'd kept a fairly good pace throughout the race, never creeping up much past a pace of 9:30 and not slowing down for water stations or hills. I was pretty sure I was going to beat my goal. So I was fairly disappointed when the race clock showed me coming in closer to an hour. And a quick glance at my watch total time showed me at 59:35. DANGIT. I still beat my best "race time" but I was upset with myself. |
As I grabbed some water and a bagel and waited for my friends to finish, I must have looked the part of "serious runner," although I certainly didn't feel like it.
A woman approached me and asked "Do you want my 5k bib?"
I guess I looked like I needed/wanted/could run more?
And while I hadn't been planning on running, when someone hands you a free race bib, I did what any crazy runner would do. I TOOK IT AND RAN.
Ok, not ran. Hobbled. I was hurting pretty bad at this point. But I told myself, the pain was mostly stiffness from not moving and the 5k would be a good way to get the muscles moving again before getting in to my car to drive home. After all, it was only another 3.1 miles... I could totally do that.
A woman approached me and asked "Do you want my 5k bib?"
I guess I looked like I needed/wanted/could run more?
And while I hadn't been planning on running, when someone hands you a free race bib, I did what any crazy runner would do. I TOOK IT AND RAN.
Ok, not ran. Hobbled. I was hurting pretty bad at this point. But I told myself, the pain was mostly stiffness from not moving and the 5k would be a good way to get the muscles moving again before getting in to my car to drive home. After all, it was only another 3.1 miles... I could totally do that.
Running the 10k might be a bit of an exaggeration. I did end up using the 5k as a cool down and jogged the first mile at about a 12:00 pace, walked the second mile, and jogged the third to bring it on it to the finish.
Overall, not a 5k for the record books, but it definitely helped relieve some of the stiffness and soreness from the leg.
The best part of running the 5k though was being able to watch one particular group of individuals who were also participating. This group was the Amputee Blade Runners. This non profit organization helps provide amputees with running blades so that they can continue to run. It was amazing to see so many of them out participating in both the 5k and 10k race that day. Young kids, teenagers, and adults alike, walking and running the course and proving to the world, and presumably themselves, that they too could participate in this awesome sport of running that we all love so much. As the tee shirt of one young girl said:
Overall, not a 5k for the record books, but it definitely helped relieve some of the stiffness and soreness from the leg.
The best part of running the 5k though was being able to watch one particular group of individuals who were also participating. This group was the Amputee Blade Runners. This non profit organization helps provide amputees with running blades so that they can continue to run. It was amazing to see so many of them out participating in both the 5k and 10k race that day. Young kids, teenagers, and adults alike, walking and running the course and proving to the world, and presumably themselves, that they too could participate in this awesome sport of running that we all love so much. As the tee shirt of one young girl said:
NO FEET? NO EXCUSES.
I was particularly blessed to watch that young girl as she crossed the finish line. A couple friends had seen her and her mother out on the course, struggling. The blade was bothering the young girl, and she had removed it and her mother was carrying her along the course. But as the finish line neared, the mother helped her down and this young girl HOPPED her way, over a quarter of a mile, to the finish line. I was not the only one who was moved by this awe inspiring event.
I won't lie. I still get emotional watching that video even today. Because THIS is what it's all about. We all have our challenges in life, and embracing a positive attitude and a dedication, a commitment, a passion for overcoming those challenges is what it's all about and part of the joy we all get from running. That's what it's all about.
#runlove, y'all.
#runlove, y'all.