After joining the Corps, I started running regularly. I needed to do it for the PFT (physical fitness test) which I nearly always scored first class on. But I started to really enjoy running.
I am so NOT built like a runner. Like I’ve said, I’m larger than life and built more like a linebacker than a runner. (I’m laughing, don’t worry!) One thing I learned is that while I might not be fast, I can go a long way.
I continued to run after I left the Corps and joined the Chicago Area Runners after I got back to Chicago. I enjoyed race days and the preparation leading up to them. I used it as my time to think. I’ve really never listened to music while running because it interferes with what I’m thinking about and I have gotten some of my best ideas while running. I mostly ran alone but would run races with my friends at times.
My favorite run that the Chicago Area Runners put on was called Chicago Avenue on the Run. It was a 10k that took place on Mother’s Day. I loved that race. The distance was great, the course was great.
The last year I ran it, I was trying to do better than I had in my previous race. I was getting towards the end of the course and I saw an older lady, with white hair, ahead of me. Ha! I can catch her, I thought, I’m sure of it. I think I was around 27 at the time. I picked up my pace as much as I could and started closing in on the lady in front of me. And… I went through the chute right after her.
The next day, her photo was on the front page of the Chicago Sun Times. She was an 86 year old mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. And I came in right behind her. I laughed at the time but now I feel like I was getting a glimpse of what my life would be in the future. Since I’m not built like a runner and I’m not fast, I would start winning races when there was less competition and I would still be running to a ripe old age. I like that idea.
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