Sunday Night With John: Chasing Down Youth and Then Letting Him Win

I stood at the start line knowing after suffering a calf injury a month and a half ago there was no way I chasing down a personal best. At age 33 certain events, muscles, rest, working out and the wind must all align for me to run as fast as I did when I was 18.  The two brats - one being a corn brat - I had yesterday also are not helping the situation. Yes a corn brat. Think corndog but instead of hotdog on the stick it’s a brat and it was worth it. As the official race starter was getting ready to sound the gun I still let the thought that I could run a 5k in under 20 minutes creep into my head.

I’m competitive and still want to think there are moments where I can chase down my youth, smile at it, and say, “I’ve still got it.” I do this whether I’m running, or on a basketball court. I guess I’m channeling the monologue from Independence Day, “I will not go quietly into the night.” I mean I recently broke down and started seeing a physical therapist to help me with the aches and pains from the running to prep for the marathon this past summer. I’m somewhat flexible again and by that I mean I can almost touch my toes without crying.  As the race pack takes off, I head out with the lead pack wanting to get of to a good start, just maybe today is the day as young kid no older than 14 was also in the lead pack but faded quickly.

One of these days I will purchase a cheap watch to wear on race days. I never have any clue what my pace is during the race. I run with a cell phone app while I train which is no help during the race. Am I running too fast to keep this pace? Am I running right where I want to? Or am I running too slowly? I have no clue because I’m kind ofan aloof guy when it comes to details. After the race I will tell myself get a watch you moron, but I won’t have this conversation with myself again until I’m in the middle of the next race.  I do know that in this race my pace has slowed and finishing in less than 20 minutes and chasing down my youth will have to happen another day. Now I focus on finishing in less than 23 minutes.  

As we round the corner for the final straight away, the 14 year-old teenager passes me. I chuckle at the life metaphor playing out in front of me as I try to run down my race time from when I was 18. We hit the last 200 yards and I have a good kick left in me and I catch up with the 14 year-old.  The young boy doesn’t start to kick and now I begin to encourage him to keep up. As we head to the finish line I pull up two-steps before and allow the 14-year to pass on by. I maybe trying to recapture my old running times, but I’m not going to beat a 14-year old at the finish line just to be a second closer.  I’m glad I’m not that guy. I’m on to the next race and working to align everything for one magical run. Just maybe I built up some good karma for the next race.