Hello 50!!!

50. It arrived. There is no turning back. I looked in the mirror and nothing changed. Still have all my teeth. Still have no hair. Everything where it should be and nothing showing up that shouldn't be there. Granted I did this inspection without my glasses but who needs that level of detail anyway? So, all in all, a good day. And a good day to race. I was a little tired and had a stupid pinch between my shoulder blades but nothing that needed surgical attention. The course was calling and my first race at 50 was on deck.

How about the rest of the gang? Albert had ran for four straight days and knocked out 8-9 miles the day before. He's training for the Portland marathon in October and looking to qualify for Boston. His dedication to training and attitude to deliver only his best will get him there. The 5K wasn't part of his training but he came to support me. Cool huh! Sharon had been battling the stomach flu since Thursday and was iffy to race. She decided to run. Maybe it was all those sprints to the bathroom over the last couple of days that convinced her that she could do it. Hard to say...

Before I share my results I will say that I did not set a personal record. I had a good race but my strategy was off and mentally I missed the game. I completed the first mile in 6:49 - never have I logged a mile at that speed. Mile 2 was just over 7:05. Albert and Sharon were in my sights through mile 2. Mile 3 had my number. At points I felt like Michael Jackson doing the moonwalk. How can I be running but feeling like I'm going backwards? I hate to admit this but I had two points in the last mile that I walked 25 feet or so. Walked. Between the pinched muscle in my back and fatigue, I failed. Mentally I failed. I met the wall and let it beat me. Those two short breaks cost me. Cost me a personal record. I finished with a time of 22:22. Not bad. Just 6 seconds slower than my record run two weeks ago. It's the second fastest I've ever ran a race. I took 3rd in my age division and finished 20th overall. One could celebrate results like that. I can't, not really. I know I could have ran a better race. I will run a better race.

Ok, how'd my lightning fast partners do? Albert turned in a personal record of 20:17, finishing 2nd in his division and 9th overall. 9th overall...wow. He didn't even look tired. His ability to recover is incredible. Often after a race he looks like he could do another one. Albert is also the first one to congratulate and offer support. Fyi ladies, he's single...see me for additional details...

Then there's Sharon. Remember what I said about her stomach flu? Can you imagine racing and battling both the course and the stomach flu? No thanks. In a 5K you have to go all out for the entire race, no holding back. She held nothing back. Not only was she the first woman to cross the finish line, she kept on running...running right through the finish and I'm happy to say that she was also the first woman to the Honey Bucket. Is that two medals or just one? Turns out that somewhere during mile 3 she experienced a mild explosion. Explosion...enough said. I don't know who impressed me the most. Sharon for continuing to run or Albert for continuing to run WITH her...The upside is that the panic over a possible gas leak was a false alarm. Sharon finished with a time of 20:17 (personal record) and besides being the first woman to finish, came in 8th overall. She now races against the field rather than just her gender.

I believe that I can run faster, I know I can. Mental strategy, maybe mental toughness is needed. It's time to train the mind as well as the body. One positive today was that age didn't beat me. The other is that I know where I need to focus. Now it's just a matter of putting a plan together and executing. I'm already looking forward to our next race and driving home with the windows rolled up....