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It’s been awhile

5 min read
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It’s been roughly 10 years since I ran a 5K.

The last one I completed was my freshman year as a member of the La Roche College cross country team.

I decided to break the streak Saturday when I participated in the “Happiest 5K In The World,” also known as The Color Run.

I woke up at around 7 in the morning to drive towards the North Shore from PNC Park.

I was joined on the adventure by my lovely girlfriend, Megan, her sister, Sara, their cousins Jenny and Melinda, and Jenny’s husband, Mark.

Not to bore you with the details of how my athletic abilities have gone down the tube, but it makes my accomplishment more intriguing.

After finishing my freshman year being the top runner of La Roche’s team, I have to brag a little, I decided to take it easy for the winter and spring months. The Redhawks do not field a wrestling or track team, sports I did in high school, and I would never make a pee wee basketball team. I’m not any good at hoops.

Towards the end of the spring semester, a group of would-be seniors asked me to room with them. They liked to party and working out early in the morning just wasn’t their style. When most runners are up for an early run, those guys were just finishing a night of debauchery.

My wonderful grandpap wasn’t too excited about me rooming with a bunch of seniors who would be “doing a lot of drinking.” My grandma said I would be OK. In any event, I slowly and surely began my steady decline.

I quit the cross country team, but did make a semi return in my junior season, but it was a disaster. I did finish a few 8K’s, which is what most Division III colleges run, but I was lousy. I lost to a bunch of basketball players.

It did give me an appreciate of what serious runners go through, but I didn’t stop living the good life.

As I entered my senior year of college, I was picked up as a stringer (newspaper term for freelance writer) by sports editor Mike Ciarochi. It gave me a taste of something I never thought I could do. I have enjoyed my time writing sports, and it is a blessing to be able to do something I love and get paid for it.

However, I also have become pretty lazy while working in an office. For whatever reason, it just seems to kill my motivation.

Over the past decade of laziness, I have had several instances where I go back into it. At one point while coaching junior high wrestling, I lost roughly 10 pounds in a five-month span, but I have since put it all back on and some more.

At the time of this writing, I am on my second week of a membership at the Uniontown YMCA and feeling pretty good about it.

Back to the race. I apologize for digressing, but it makes the story.

I was nervous the whole morning. I was always anxious before a race, even at the prime of my career. I went to the bathroom twice, once at Jenny’s, and once after registering.

Megan helped me with my pins and told me not to be “a stubborn old man” if I don’t feel good during the run. For the record, I’m 28 years old.

The Color Run is very different. The race is not timed, thank God, and they throw different colors on you at certain intervals. Temporary tattoos, unless you’re AJ Burnett, and a really neat head band and a white T-shirt so the colors blend in.

I didn’t do a warm up since I figured the 3.1 miles would be enough running for me this day. I decided to stretch out a little and had a moment of meditation before we started.

I decided to go with Mark, Jenny and Melinda on the run, while Megan and Sara walked the course.

The first part of the course I was very stiff but we all stayed together as we passed the Andy Warhol Museum. As we went through the first color splash, Mark told us to keep going so I stayed with Jenny and Melinda. I felt pretty good as we moved towards the PNC Park River Walk along the banks of the Allegheny River.

We went through two more color stations and my legs stared to feel better, but I was getting tired as we headed towards the Carnegie Science Center. I made a wheezing sound and Jenny asked me if I was OK. I told her I am just out of shape, but they said I was doing well.

Heading past Heinz Field and back to PNC Park, we passed the final color station as Melinda and I raced towards the finish. I think she was trying to out kick me at the end, but I put on a little burst towards the finish line just ahead.

We were greeted with confetti and everyone was very encouraging.

Needless to say, The Color Run made me appreciate the beauty of distance running, and it was great to spend it with people I care about.

Look out Woodruff 5K, I’m coming for you in July.

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