Day 427 -- Race

I ran a race today. A town up near Madison hosted Jerry's Race Against Muscular Dystrophy. There was a 10K run, a 5K run, and, new this year, a "Hometown Team Challenge." The idea was that various town around the area would organize teams, and it would be scored as a team event, like a cross country meet. Unfortunately, they didn't get quite as much participation as I think they planned on.

The first place team was a bunch of young guys, late teens or early twenties. I had the impression that they had been on a high school cross country or track team, and had gotten together to show the old guys a thing or two. I believe that they finished first, second, third, fourth, and sixth. The second place team was a bunch of middle aged guys, all in fairly good shape. And the third place team was me.

That's correct, I, by myself, represented my hometown. Well, actually, I represented the University. When I read about this thing in the paper, I thought it would be cool to enter a team from the University. I know plenty of people who run. So I tried to get something organized, but it never really panned out. I had one definite "Yes," and two or three "Maybes," but none of them showed up. Not even the "Yes." So I ran by myself.

I finished last. I pretty much knew I was headed for that, as soon as I saw the field. Actually, I ran with one other fellow (I found out later he was in the age group 10 years above mine), and I think that I could have beaten him at the end, but that seemed like it would have been rude. I just coasted in behind him by a second or two.

I wasn't a bad run, actually. I finished in almost exactly the time I took on July 4. I suppose that I should have been faster, since it was much cooler. It was rainy most of the day, but it cleared off just enough for the race, which was pretty good planning, I think. And it was lots cooler than all last week, so it was a pleasant run.