Why I Run - A Not-Quite Race report

For over a week, I've been battling a nasty virus.  At its worse, the virus was in my eyes, nose, ears, throat, and not-quite chest.  Doctor's orders included a couple days of quarantine - there was nothing she could do to help me get better (beyond rest) so her concern fell with me not infecting the general populous.

I ran the Hal Canfield Memorial Milefest on day 4 of being sick - still in denial that anything was wrong.  By day 6, I went to the doctor hoping for sage advice/mediation to help get me better quickly.  I'm in training (5 weeks away from my half marathon) - I don't have time to be sick!

Sadly, this cropped version is a vast improvement on the original pic!

Thursday and Friday I was ordered to stay at home.  Amazing how paradise feels like prison when its a demand rather than an option.  Thursday I stay inside - eating ice cream, watching The Office on Netflix.  Friday I felt better, but to save my office from infection, I stayed at home.  Doc said my sickness would last 7-10 days.  Still, I felt well enough Friday and Saturday to go on a walk/jog through my neighborhood.

Day 10 happen to fall on the day of yet another race I had preregistered for - Townsend 15K.  I ran this race last year and loved it.  Eager to repeat the experience, I had my mind set to not DNS this race.  I got out in my neighborhood Friday and Saturday to get the legs moving to make sure my body hadn't forgotten how to run since Monday.

Healthy, I was all but guaranteed a PR.  I've improved that much since last year.  Unfortunately, my sick body just wasn't capable.  Because I don't feel like the race is a good representation of my training, I'm not going to post splits in this report, or a blow-by-blow of how I felt.

I consistently felt like crap.  Save for those moments where I focused the reasons I love racing.

I'm a very social person by nature. That's one reason the so-called quarantine bothered me so much.  I crave human interaction.  Before the race,  I chatted with Roxanne - a local racer who I hadn't before officially met, although we run most of the same races.  She and I chatted about our dog fears, our favorite best-kept-secret race, and wished each other luck before the gun went off.

In the first mile, I recognized a racer from the Carter Mill 10K I volunteered at last month.  As we ran, I introduced myself.  Larry Acuff ran the original Pigeon Forge 8K, back in the day my dad races.  Mr. Acuff is 75 years old, and ran the race only 5 minutes slower than me.  He told me his goal was to finish - and he did just that, taking home the award for 2nd place in his age group.

Running past the camp ground, I told him stopping for bacon would be his biggest obstacle to finishing.  Another runner overheard, and added her memories of the bacon from last year.  It smelled so good! (And I was thankful they didn't have the full breakfast out this year - I might not have been able to resist temptation.)

The course was lollipop shaped, so around the 4 mile point for me, I started encountering the front runners.  Elizabeth Herndon was in the lead (ahead a the boys - a lead she'd hold on to) looking strong.  Then some of my teammates passed and I got the chance to cheer them on. 

I mean really, how often do you get the opportunity to yell "Go P Go!" in life?  That's fun stuff! 

One of the most encouraging members of our KTC Socialites team - Bryan - was a volunteer station at the tour around.  He cheered me on and encouraged my hustle. 

Around mile 6, instead of taking a gel as planned, I took a coughing fit and the 3rd puff on my inhaler of the day.  Frank - another local racer, although on a different team - stopped long enough to check on me.  He talked to me enough to make sure I was okay and didn't need medical attention. 

(I discovered later my forgotten gel in my fuel carrier.  After losing 2 pounds from not eating much this past week, and only taking 1 gel in 90+ minutes of running, no wonder I was low on energy!)

Once again (this time in his car passing me) Bryan encouraged me during the late miles of the race.  While the terrain was downhill/flat for the last mile and a half, it was still the toughest part of the race.  Yet a 3rd time (around the 9 mile marker), Bryan met me with a smile and encouraging words.  He ran in the last 0.3 in with me, forcing my body to pick up the pace. 

This race wasn't a PR.  Not even close.  What is was, however, might be more important.  This race served as a great reminder why I run.  I'm not one of those who train to be competitive, although sometimes I get caught up in the plan and forget. 

I run because I enjoy it - enjoy the feeling of an easy run, the people I've met along the way, scenery I've passed.   If it took 95 minutes of misery to remember just how much I enjoy it, I'll still say they were 95 minutes well spent.