Life V. Marathon Day 41

I woke this morning with an aching body and a bad attitude. My alarm went of at 4:30 am, I turned it off. I finally dragged myself out of bed at 6:15, I had to be at the starting line of a 5k in 45 minutes. All I had time to do was drink some Gatorade and hit the toilet, then it was out the door.

It's 1 1/2 miles from my place to the starting line, enough to get a bit of a warm-up in before the race. Even at the starting line I felt half asleep and stiff, not feeling up to racing. A friend from out of town lines up next to me, he runs about my pace, I decide I'll just fall in behind him as the race gets under way.

We hit the 1 mile mark at 5:17, usually I go out way too fast and arrive at the mile mark around 5 minutes. I feel the urge to pass my friend, but stick to the pace and stay put. It was right at the 2 mile mark when I decide that maybe I do have enough energy to run a good race. I swing around my friend, the person at the 2 mile mark yells out 10:37.

Now alone in the final mile, the only thing left to battle is the voice inside my head telling me to slow down. I feel my achy legs,I give up a little speed. Not this time I say to myself, and then out-loud I say "Get over it". I regain the speed I gave up and cruise into the finish. I ran 16:35, a PR.