My Running

I have enjoyed running for a number of years.  As a child I was a sprinter; built for speed and not too interested in running long distances.  My Father and Brother both ran cross country in High School and continued running through adulthood. 

This past Saturday I ran a 5K race to support research for a cure for Ovarian Cancer.  This disease took the life of my late wife in 2008.  I participated in the first event by the local Ovarian Cancer group in 2006, with friends and family.  In 2007 I ran the 5K race with my Daughter-in-law and ran a decent time, finishing 3^rd place for my age group.   We ran the race again in 2008, which had become a much larger event and hosted by the local runner group.  More than 600 runners participated in this race.  This year the race was smaller and was part road course and part cross country, with the course running through a wooded area.

I finished 3^rd again for my age group, though I ran more than 3 minutes slower than 2007.  In all of the races I finished in the top half of the total field-this year I finished 79 out of 166.   After the 2008 race, I had significant pain in my left leg while running.  After about a year of pain, my doctor took x-rays and declared me fit to run.  The pain persisted and I took the x-rays to a sports orthopaedic doctor who suggested my doctor missed that I clearly had three stress fractures, and had never given them the chance to heal.  The doctor asked why I continued to run with significant pain, and I didn’t have a good answer for him.  It has taken almost three years to heal properly, after reinjuring my leg several times.  I am now pain free again, though I am intentionally running easier and slower than previously.  Five years ago I ran under eight minute miles and now I am intentionally running over nine.

I enjoy running and typically run every weekday morning before work.  The first picture was taken after the race this weekend.  The second picture is my son, grandson and friends that participated in the walk and came for support.  After the race, we went to my son’s house for beer, pizza and football.  The third picture is my 3^rd place finish in 2007. The last two pictures were taken in 2006.  The racing sausages from the Milwaukee Brewers participated and they were not nearly as fast as they appear when they race at the ballpark.  I guess they are not built for speed.