So, I made a spur-of-the-moment decision today to go run a quick race to test myself and see where I was at compared to last year. Oomph, what was I thinking?
I decided to run the 2-mile Brodhead Depot Shuffle. Nothing big or major, just s short 2-mail race, but for someone who has hated any form of racing above the 200-meter sprint since before high school, it was an act of determination to just make an appearance. I was determined though, even though I swore off racing after my embarrassment last year (a post for another time). I’ll be honest, I wasn’t happy with my results. I felt I was farther along than what I feel the time showed, and how I feel I performed, but I don’t hate them either because it was still far above anything I was able to carry out a year ago. Last year I never could do much of anything because it seemed like my calves would immediately cramp up. It was a real deterrent to getting me to run out in public. Plus the cold sweats I’d get from the previous embarrassments haunted me longer than I care to admit. This race, however, the first of the year, and the first one I’ve ever run and gone alone, didn’t really turn out awful.
My time wasn’t anything to write home about, coming in at 23:19, because while not keeling over, I did still have to stop and walk a few times because the old calves were screaming. The time was actually good enough to put me on 28th overall, so not too terrible. Funny enough though, it also was good enough to get me my first medal too; 1st Place 35-39 Male.
Again, it’s nothing for me to run the hills screaming and celebrating over (plus, the whole calves thing would probably keep me from it) but I can at least trick myself into thinking it was more of an accomplishment than what it was, right? Plus I did it on my own. No one pushing me or getting me to come out to the race. I saw the post on Facebook and made the decision to try it.
Regardless, what it has done, has motivated me to earn another one of these down the road soon, and this time feel I earned it by simply getting it Miss Congeniality style.
Don’t be tricked though, I still hate running. Can’t see that ever-changing 🙂