Getting Back in the Groove, v3

A few weeks ago I once again dusted off the running shoes and participated in the TKPK5K, my one solitary effort to run for more than 10 feet and simultaneously benefit my community. OK, so maybe that is a tad of a stretch. As opposed to last year's disastrous idea of not training an ounce and just walking up the starting line and running 3 miles, I decided this year to at least fake like I was taking it seriously.

This involved running on a treadmill a few times in the two weeks leading up to the event. This was mainly because I was convinced that I would snap my ankle or get beat by a 7-year-old. Well, the second part still happened (those little kids have boundless energy, I stood no chance). Anyway, I did break one of the race rules by listening to an app on my iPhone while running the race. It's called "Zombies, Run!" and it rocks. It's a story that is told while you are running and integrates your GPS into the story, collecting supplies and outrunning the living dead. Good stuff, I highly recommend it for anyone who likes to hit the trails or pavement for a little exercise.

The best part was that I actually beat my time from last year (just barely broke 30 minutes!), even if my place in the standings didn't improve and they spelled my name wrong. I guess the running talent at the TKPK5K is getting stronger. Well, I'm not. I'm just gonna keep hitting my own pace and the rest of these fools running their 5-minute miles can enjoy the extra glass of juice at the finish line.

Getting Back in the Groove, v2

I had two goals for this year's running of the TKPK5K (the local 5K that is run just a few blocks from my house). 1) Survive and 2) Beat last year's time.

You might think this an easy task but, you see, I had a big hindrance affecting both those goalsL I did zero training. None. Zilch. Sure, I bike regularly now and I'd like to think of myself as a relatively fit guy (I did build a multi-ton patio after all). But I'd done no training for this race whatsoever. Never got on a treadmill to test myself. Never did a preliminary jog or 1-mile run to see what kind of endurance I had. Nope, I was a total idiot and just decided to wake up at 6:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning and go run a shade over 3 miles. Yeah, Kuni knows what I am.

Not training influenced my first goal, because who knew if my body would make it through the race. I certainly wasn't out there to break any records, and I could have just walked the damn thing and technically survived, but we all know that wasn't going to happen. The lack of training also greatly affected the second goal, because beating last year's time was not going to be easy, and that includes not having the wife holding me back (her words, not mine). Only 20 guys got a worse time than me last year, so I feared besting that.

So I woke up, walked over, and ran. And ran. Ran until it ended, and I'm almost talking about my body. Because that last quarter-mile that's all uphill did me no favors for my internal confidence. But I finished, and I fared way better this year. 68 guys finished worse than me, and I shaved 5 minutes off last year's time. I also beat a few kids, who should have WAY more energy than me. Wimps. So clearly, with no training, I'm now ready to conquer anything. I'll be out of pocket for the next few days as I scale Everest.