Two pieces of background information about me.

1) Back in high school at South Cobb (1987), I was on the track team. I ran the 100, 200, 400, 400 meter relay and the mile relay. All of those races were full on sprints. The fastest one to finish line wins. Don’t worry about conserving energy, finish as fast as you can. I loved the short races and hated the days when the coaches made us practice the long stuff.

Early in my senior year, I decided to “get serious” about track. So, I ran cross country in the fall so I would be in better shape once track season arrived. Each race was a 5K or about 3.2 miles. I still had to “run fast” but also had to converse energy so I could finish the race without burning out.

2) I started running again sometime this summer in late July or early August. Actually, I started walking and then slowing worked in some running. Stress, getting too heavy and too much time in front of a computer help lead to this choice. I try to run 5 days a week and go about 2 miles.

Now the story.

Saturday, I ran in my first 5K since high school. My one goal was to run the whole race without stopping, walking or resting. My time was not a big concern. Placing was not even an option.

I am happy to say that I met my goal. According to the official results, I finished 117 out of 239 runners with the time of 29 minutes 14 seconds 30 milliseconds. My track coaches would not be happy with a 10 minute mile, but considering the inadequate training I am OK with it.

The race was the RiverFront Run here in Albany which helps with cancer research.