Independence Day

I was about a quarter mile after the start of the 4 on the 4th race in Elmhurst when I turned around and realized my friends were no longer running with me.  We started out together.  But that, apparently, was it  My wife pointed out that is appropriate considering it was Independence Day.  In any case, I had no expectations for the race.  No goals.  I just wanted to take part since it was happening in the town where I live, and sponsored by the running club that I belong to. 

So I convinced two of my regular running weekend running partners John and Tom to sign up as well.  We rode over together.  We warmed up (a little) together.  We started together.  Then they left me.  Or I left them, depending on your perspective.  I did finish ahead of them, though that was not my objective when we started.  They have both beaten me in other races over the years. 

Really, I didn't care about my time for the race.  Sometimes, though, when you get in a race that feels good, you just go with it.  I know that a distance of 10k or less is much better suited to my abilities than a longer run, such as a marathon.  So I guess I just went with it. 

That's not to say I ran a really good time, or that I surprised myself.  I ran about 6:40 pace for the 4 miles.  That qualifies as a good workout for me, but not a strong race.  Although since I haven't focused on training for a shorter race for many, many years, I'm not sure what a good time would be for me at this point.  I just know that the shorter the distance, the more confident I feel that I can hold a faster pace.

That pace wasn't going to do much for me in this race though.  As we were doing our short warmup, my friends and I noticed that there seemed to be a lot of fast runners entered.  About a thousand runners were entered in the race, but since it was part of the CARA circuit, it attracted a talented field of runners.  The winner broke the course record by running about 19:08.  I finished something like 8 minutes later!

I confess I don't know for sure because I forgot to stop my watch at the finish, and have been too lazy to look up the results online.  I know, that's really lazy!  But it goes to the point that I really don't care too much about the results.  I enjoyed the race.  I enjoyed seeing my friends from Elmhurst and my regular running partners all in one place.  And I enjoyed getting my run in early on a holiday, then going home and starting the 4th of July before my family had even gotten going yet.

I should mention that it was a really enjoyable race.  Race directors Bob Richards and Susan May did a really nice job putting it together, and attracting a strong field.  The weather was ideal.  The course was easy enough, and the post race gathering was cozy.  Probably the best part about it was that we had a 5 minute drive to get there and were able to park in a giant lot for Elmhurst College.  So it was all good.

My friends enjoyed the race as well.  They finished not far behind me, and we all felt good about being able to enjoy the rest of the holiday with a good run out of the way early.  They are both strong runners who are in the process of getting back in shape.  Shorter races like this help them work on their speed as well as gauge where how they are doing.

As for me,  I'm still trying to figure out what's next.  A lot of runners are gearing up for fall marathon training right now.  I am not planning on that, and if I don't start to increase my mileage soon, it will soon be too late.  But after years and years of going through that training cycle, I'm trying to give myself permission to let it go right now. 

So we'll figure it out eventually, but it's fun to feel like I'm in good shape, just for the sake of being in good shape  Or in other words, it's fun just to run for the sake of running. 

I'll see you on the roads....