I was really hoping this race would be rained out, but it takes a heck of a lot to cancel a running event. As we arrived at the location, the sky opened up and let down with great fury… Unfortunately, not enough to even think about postponing. Luckily, it likely kept a lot of folks home.

Coming into the race, I had only run about four miles in the past two weeks and had been fighting a cold for half of that, which I was just barely starting to get over… I really wanted it cancelled.

I did a quick warmup, we line up, and are off. I settle into what feels like a comfortable jog, feel good at no point, but manage to take a give away a place or two all the way to the end to finish in 20:41. In the final half mile I actually puked a little bit… that’s never happened to me before. Regardless, I trudged across the finish line to secure 9th place overall and 1st in my age group. Hurray for victory by attrition (there was only one other guy in my age group).

The 20:41 turns out to be a PR for that course. When I was in my prime (running 18:45 5ks and two weeks after my last marathon), I ran a 20:45. I don’t know what to attribute this too; it’s really bizarre. I felt like crap, didn’t feel good at all during the race, didn’t even consider it a race, haven’t been running… I digress, I should be happy. My spirits are way up on my running ability and I feel little to know pain today so [as I’ve said a dozen times before], I think I’m going to work out a running plan and start adding on some miles.

My next race is a 4.5-miler on Tuesday. Following that, a mountain bike race in two weeks, a 5-miler two days after that, and finally ending the summer season with my first triathlon down in Wilmington… I really need to get back into swimming.