Back to my roots

I ran the Ridgewood Run on Monday, and I’ve got to say, it was one of the most exhilarating experiences. I haven’t raced in YEARS, probably close to six years or more, and I was very nervous about it, but once I got out there, the adrenaline kicked in and the 5K flew by. Well, flew by in 26:32, but hey, it’s a start.

There’s just something about road races that gets me going. The excitement of it all, the carnival-like atmosphere, the rush of runners at the start and then the relief when it all thins out and you’ve got room to move. It’s fantastic. It was the most fun I’ve had in a while, even with all the painful muscle exertion, the red-faced can’t really breathe feeling, and the 85 degree heat that made every sprinkler and garden hose along the course seem like a gift from God. I mean, where else do you get to run under a red white and blue balloon rainbow and have someone hand you a cup of gatorade?

And it was also fun to christen my return to the racing world with the Ridgewood Run. They had a booth that displayed all the race T-shirts in the event’s 32-year history, and it was fun to pick out the years I ran and the T-shirts I once wore. I think I was just seven or eight years old the first time I conquered the 1-mile Fun Run with Dad. And it wasn’t until freshman year of high school that I stepped it up to the 5K, this time with my IHA track buddies. And then there was a year that I ran with Maggie in the 5K. She was really little – I don’t know how she finished it, but she did. Somewhere in there I ran again with my friends, the time Maureen got lost on the course and ended up in the Oak Street apartments. And now I can add 2006 to that list, the year I ran it with Evan and got to share with him my favorite Memorial Day tradition, and the year I decided to take this marathon-quest by the horns.

My only regret is that we didn’t make it to Graydon’s opening day afterwards. Oh well. Next year I’m running the 10K. Just wait. And maybe I’ll cap it off with a plunge off the high dive afterwards. We’ll see.