Running Free

As many of you know, I choose running and cycling as my main forms of exercise because after an initial outlay of money, it's free to run and bike outside. Every so often, I enter a road race to see how fast I can really run over a reasonable distance of ground. One of the most common distances I've run is the 5k (5 kilometers, or 3.1 miles). I have run either a 5 or 6 kilometer race on each of the past 4 July 4th holidays. For the second year in a row I ran the Clearfield Freedom Run. I finished the race in 25:36, which is actually only my third best time in four 5k races run. Still, I felt pretty good after the race, since I've been doing long distance training for a few months.

Still, I didn't stick around for the raffle and awards ceremony, as my time would often land me in the bottom third in my age group. I should have stayed! A friend who did stay ran into me on Monday and said he thought I came in second in my group. A phone call to Clearfield City's Recreation Department confirmed the result, and I dropped by to pick up my accompanying ribbon. The picture at the top shows my bib and ribbon for the race (Angela couldn't come to take my picture).

I have tried to understand how I could have finished second in my age group, as this is not typical for me. I think I was aided by the large number of 5k races held on July 4th in nearby towns. This probably meant that all the local elite runners didn't congregate at a single race. Nevertheless, this is the first award of any kind I've won for a footrace under any circumstances, so I am proud of the accomplishment!

I have decided to enter the Spanish Fork Half Marathon this year, which is held on September 6, 2008. I still haven't registered, but I actually recruited a few friends to train and then run it with me. I am excited for this new challenge, and I'll post updates as the race gets closer.