It's about time! If you didn't get out and run this weekend, you must have been tied down! Maybe the winter was too long. Maybe it was the tease we got a few weeks ago during the Shamrock Shuffle. Whatever it was, I offering my thanks to meteorologist Jerry Taft! There is much to write about, but I want to start with one of the most exciting races I've seen in the last few years.
The last couple years that I have made my annual trek to Des Moines for the Drake Relays and have needed an sweatshirt and a raincoat. This weekend, I packed all those things 
but found myself having to make a stop at the mall for some shorts! It was great weather for the 18,000 fans who filled the stadium. For the runners, the conditions were a little windy, but otherwise perfect for a track meet! And a lot of the athletes took advantage. There were some memorable performances at the Drake Relays this year, but the best memory I had was of Alan Webb running the mile.
As you probably know, Alan Webb broke Jim Ryun's high school mile record a few years back. He has run in the Olympics and has run some other great races, but generally has not yet lived up to the tremendous potential he showed in high school. Saturday he was in a strong field, but he left them all behind. The Drake Relays record was held by Steve Scott, and was set back in 1979. He ran a 3:55, which is fast for early in the season, no 
doubt. But it was destined to fall yesterday. There was a pacer who took Webb through two and a half laps at a fast pace, but the final 600 meters was all on him. And he pushed it! He finished in 3:51:71 which was the fastest time in the world this year, and easily broke the Drake record. It was a couple seconds off of his all time P.R., but, as he said afterward, it was easily the fastest time he's run before May!
Earlier that day, I got a chance to run myself. It was a little redemption for my self esteem after my slow Boston marathon. It was the Drake Relays On-The-Roads half marathon. It was such a nice day the miles just rolled along, and I ran really easily on a hilly course at about 7:45 pace. I know you are not really supposed to race so soon after a marathon, but I 
couldn't resist signing up and running easily. I met a couple other people on the course who had also run Boston, and we all agreed we enjoyed the weather in Des Moines much more than Boston. I am posting pictures of Boston and my finish yesterday just to show the contrast!
I am also proud of my friend Henry Hamilton. We ran Track and Cross-Country together at Drake some 20 years ago, but Henry (who is now a judge in Milwaukee) has not run much in the last decade or so. He signed up for the 8k, though, and finished strong. He also served as the official 'blog photographer', taking some of the pictures in this space. All this after staying up late for two straight nights before the race enjoying our college reunion festivities! Way to go Henry! Next up, a marathon! Or not.
Anyway, it was also great running weather in Chicago, and my wife was at the Fleet Feet Ravenswood run Sunday. I'll write more about that later in the week. Til then, see you on the roads!
