Short Stack 5K

Short Stack 5K. Sounds like a $2.99 breakfast special at IHOP. It's not. Though it sounds good as long as it comes with a side of bacon so crispy the 'fat' looks like meat. That's my secret for eating bacon - also the beauty of it. Cook it long enough and the fat chars to the point it actually looks like meat. Mentally it's now good for me - fat free bacon. If I think about it long enough maybe I can find the same happy place with Double Stuff Oreos.

The 5K wasn't really called the short stack. I could use diminutive. Maybe even petite. Yes, the Petite 5K. No...it wasn't a race for er, how do we phrase it today....little people. It was a 5K that was more like a 4K. 5K = 3.1 miles. This one was 2.72. Really? Yup. Runners are ready for that time when you know you have about a quarter mile left to go and you get ready to push every fiber in your body for a strong finish. But in this case, I round a corner and there was the finish line. Right there. The clock read 19:50:17. For a brief moment I didn't care that it was short. A sub 20 5K would be worth blogging about. Maybe even a tattoo. Then I check my trusty Garmin and what I already know is proven beyond a doubt. It read 2.72....

It also gave up another number. A beautiful number. 7:24. My pace. I could celebrate after all. Third fastest pace ever. It felt great - here I was 51 years old and still running hard. In many ways, better than ever. *Time to thank some people. Albert - running form. I was leaning! Not perfect but it made a difference - and I don't think I heal struck even one time! Sharon - well, you know. Tri-team - you have me swimming and biking which has improved my overall fitness. It's amazing how much cardio a guy can get gasping for breath in the pool.

I had a great 7:01 first mile. At the end of it my right shoelace came undone. Crap. One lace was hitting my opposite leg but I didn't want to stop. I was thinking about the shoelaces that won't come undone that Jerry talked about during his clinic. I should have bought them I thought. Then the other lace started hitting me too. Pisser. Now I know I have to stop and tie them before I trip over myself. I pull over, bend down and start the process. You know those movies where the person is being chased and they jump in the car and it takes them forever to get the key in the ignition? That was me. Ten thumbs. As runners flew by I got more and more frustrated. Finally got it down and I'm sure it didn't take as much time as it seemed to me - though I started the race with stubble and now had a full beard.

I managed to catch one of the three that passed me (yes, I counted them). The other two probably would have passed me anyway since they continued to pull away. For the rest of the race I was in a pocket. Couldn't pass anyone and no one passed me. I knew I was moving fast because this was an out and back course and I was well on my way back and runners were still not at the half way point.

After finishing the race I stuck around for the results - I'm always curious to how I place in my age division. Today was a good day. I won my age division. Beat a bunch of 40, 30, and 20 somethings in the process. Truth be told, a 14 year old girl beat me so I best not get all cocky. Teenagers amaze me. After the race they look like they could run another one. Me, it's all I can do to find half a banana and a water.

It was time to go. Albert and Sharon weren't able to join me since they were running with the tri team and the race experience isn't the same when you can't share it. I know, poor Michael. No sooner did I get in the car (and with ease slid my key into the ignition on the first try) that I had a message about a trip to Speedy Reedy. I'm all in. Turns out it was in Fremont and in Fremont was the solstice parade. We didn't know that until we rounded the corner and came face to face with naked people riding bikes. Naked. I mean I saw...well, that's another story...until then give it all you got, leave nothing for tomorrow, and Run...don't jog.