Marathon By 40

Wow! What an experience! This morning I completed my first official running event: The Labor Day 5k at White Rock Lake. I finished 9th out of 11 in my weight class. So while I wasn’t the slowest guy out there, I gave him a good race! I was also able to run a new PB (personal best) at 34:39 (a full 3 minutes faster than the practice 5k I ran 3 weeks earlier).

I was really thankful to have Mike (900 above), Keith (superstitious up-side down 13), and Arshaad (943) there running with me. Actually, they were running ahead of me. Mike won his age group (way to go, Mike!), Keith got 3rd in our weight group (I don’t think to qualify to run with us clydesdales anymore), and Arshaad ran 5th in his age group. So, job well done to each! All of them were waiting for me at the last 10th of a mile where the course turned from the road to the grass. Before I saw them, I felt like I was out of gas. But it was very encouraging to hear them cheering, and they helped me kick it up a notch or two for a final sprint. It was great to have them cheering and to share their company after the race. Congratulations on your great runs, guys.

Thank you also everyone who encouraged me with comments and emails. Making the goals public was another driving force to make sure I pushed through. Your support means a lot.

So, I’m now hooked. I’ve realized that if I have a goal and a plan, it’s possible to make significant progress. The race was a lot of fun, but this 5k is just the first step. There are many miles to go before my first marathon. I’m taking time this week to scour race calendars on the net and select my next event.

Let’s take a break from running to recover.

Links:

• My photos on Flickr
• Race results at ThrustonRacing.com
• “Official” photos at CelebratedImages.com