Running For the Sake of Running

This past Saturday I was talked into running The Scorcher Four. The Scorcher Four is four mile race in St. Louis, hosted by the good people at Missouri Running. Being an avid hater of running, conditioning or anything resembling a jog for the sake of running, I reluctantly signed up and began my training.

I have had my fair share of conditioning and running with my various basketball teams and soccer teams, but as I’m growing older, I was excited to see how I would do in this run. I try to keep my workout routine to 4-5 times a week this summer, and increased my cardio to prepare for the race. After a month or so of training with my running partners, the big day quickly approached.

Unsure of how a race worked and having numerous butterflies in my stomach, the race began and hundreds began their trek of four miles. There were all kinds of different runners. Many guys intensely sporting the thigh high shorts who took the race extremely serious. Other runners could have considered the race as a “cool down,” from their previous morning run. Few runners were like our crew, running for the fun of it.

Mile 1:

We began the run throughout the neighborhoods of University City even passing by the high school. I began passing the intense runners all the time thinking, “Four miles? This will be a breeze, I have to be at least halfway done with the race by now.” And as I was dead tired climbing the hill on Delmar, I see a sign that read Mile 2!

Mile 2:

Time to slow my roll. I lost pace and even began thinking about walking for a bit. Determined to keep a jogging pace I put my head down and kept going. As the volunteers were holding waters for the runners, I did the classic move of snagging a cup and completely missing my mouth, spilling water all over my face.

Mile 3:

Finally, to see a sign saying that I had advanced another mile was a relief to say the least. Trying to focus on my breathing, I noticed few runners slowly starting to pass. That was okay with me. My goal was to keep running the whole time and see how I would end up.

Mile 4:

Really tired, I was searching for the street I knew the race would end on. As I turned onto the road, I kept pushing myself. Hearing someone approaching me, I turned and saw a mother pushing her child in a walker. You’ve got to be kidding me!? As I saw that, I looked up and saw the FINISH sign. There was no way that this mom was going to beat me pushing a kid! I began a full out sprint for the finish. Bad idea. I started the sprint way too early, and twenty feet before the finish line I felt something coming up, and thought I was going to get sick. I mustered up the strength to calm it down and finish the run at 34:12.

I was proud of myself and my team for running the race and finishing the way we did. I have no idea how these runners enjoy running these races. I thought about those who run marathons and it quickly gave me a headache.