Hey everyone! During the summer months I spend what little spare time I have, working on staying in shape, on and off the course.
Not only do I have a passion for the game of golf, but for running too. A couple of weekends ago I decided to run in the Plymouth Father’s Day Race. They offer a 1-mile, 5K and a 10K. In the past I have run the 10K before and fortunately did pretty well for my age. However, this time I decided that I should work on speed rather than distance. So, I signed up for all three races! Yes, that may sound very crazy to most people, but for real hard-core runner’s, that is the norm. Little did I know that there were over a 100 of us crazy people, many who are my friends. I faired well and managed to take first in my age group (no more info. about age group) in the 1-mile and the 5K. There was about a 15-minute recovery time between races. When it was time for the 10K, the last race, my plan was to just take it easy, and that’s just what I did. However, the 10K seemed to go on and on and on. There were so many turns; it made it hard to know if I’d ever get to the finish line. Despite my fatigue and numerous turns, I must say running through the beautiful neighborhoods of Plymouth with all the shade trees, made for a more enjoyable run. About two-thirds through the race, I started visualizing a beautiful sunny day on the golf course and seeing myself making great golf shots into the green, leaving only a tap in putt for birdie. It was definitely a great way to distract myself from how tired I was, and it helped to pass the time. As I looked at my watch, I noticed my speed was improving with each passing mile. Needless to say, I sure was happy to cross that finish line for the third and final time!
I didn’t win this one, but I did manage to run a 49:30, just under an 8:00 minute pace. I was pleased with my over all performance for the day. Of course as competitive as I am, I had to look at all the results in my age group and other age groups. I noticed that there was a woman 11 years older than me, who beat me by about a minute and a half. At first I was disappointed that someone 11 years older than me would pass by me. I realized and I was encouraged to know that I can do better, regardless of my age.
The three races were not about the speed, or thoughts about a great golf shot, it was more about the endurance and how we handle ourselves during the ups and downs on the course. Achieving success (defined different for everyone) comes with our experiences (which comes with age), gained knowledge, continued perseverance, and vision. I hope you will get out and enjoy the challenge.
For race pictures, click on the link. http://www.plymouthpictures.com/2008-06Jun/A61_5531.jpg
