Over a stretch of years in the 1990s (1994-1998) I typically ran a race every Fourth of July. My best race was the 1998 Sebring 5K (in Sebring, Ky) when I ran a 16:24. Actually, the first road race I ever ran was in 1994 with Seth Woodward in Nashville, Tn. I shot out of the gate really fast and died the last two miles. That was my first real lesson on pacing. Seth blew me away that day. My friend Luke (Seth's brother) and their mom, Pam, also went to the race. We had a great time and my ego healed quickly after the race. If I had to pinpoint the start to my road racing career, it would definitely be on 7/4/1994. I think it's fitting that the Woodwards (some of the finest people I know) were the ones that introduced me to road racing. At the time, Seth was one heck of a runner and Luke (a very good friend) was probably the best tennis player in Kentucky during that time. It's nice to sit here on this Sunday afternoon and remember that day. It's funny what you remember and what can elicit an old--but good--memory.
I did run today for about 6.25 miles at 6:30a. For the week I hit 41 miles and that brings my yearly total to 1049.25. Next week I go for my 19th strait 40 mile week. This week has been an interesting running week. It began in Austin while I was at the conference. I ran along the Lady Bird Lake trail downtown. It's an amazing 10 mile trail that is on soft red dirt and some concrete and asphalt every now and then. Last Monday there was a 5K that was part of the conference. Funny story about that. I was in the lead early on and did not know where the turn around was located. The person stationed at the turnaround missed me and many other runners. Turns out we ended up running a 4.5 mile race instead of the 3.1 miles that make up a 5K. For what it's worth, I did defend my ACUHO-I 5K title despite the hiccup. That's back to back ACUHO-I 5K wins. Next year I hope to make it a three-peat (ala the Lakers and Bulls) in New Orleans. If you happen to visit Austin, then you must run on the Lady Bird Lake trail. It's fantastic. Overall, it was a challenging week to hit 40 miles. I got up on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 6a so that I could run before moving. My legs are shot and I'm glad that I did not decide to race today because it would have been rough.
Sarah and I moved to a really cool location in downtown Indianapolis. We live right on the canal and it's nice. I planted some flowers, did some mulching, and we added some furniture for our cookout tonight. See pictures below. Have a great 4th. It's good to be back. Happy Running.
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