I Race Because I Can...

So today is the "Ten Miler", the Cape Elizabeth Mid-Winter Classic. I plan to run. I am up early this morning and I got thinking about WHY I am running. I'm not in what I would call "race shape", I have done NO speed work (it's February), it's going to be COLD, I'm 175 - not 168, I tweaked my knee a few weeks back and I can still feel a little something going on with it. So what time does the race start? Who else is running?

My wife asked me last night if I planned to run and I said yes. Then I started thinking that at times, it is more about the event than the actual miles you run in the race. Today I will get to see a bunch of friends, people I have come to know through my participation in triathlon and running. Some of them I haven't seen in months. I have heard people say that they won't race because they don't want to put up a "slow" time and see it in print. I think that's a shame. That's reality, that's WHERE YOU ARE AT right now - simple as that. If you want it to be different than do something about it. So I will race. I will race because I want to see WHERE I'M AT. I will race to support my friend Dave Brackett in his Ironman training. I'll race to see just how much faster Steve Tenney is right now, and where Jeff Small is at. I want to beat Brackett, and Mike MacDonald, see how fast Angela's husband Mark is and watch Tim Keene and Rob Smith destroy the course. I want to see if Stacy beat Erin or if Erin beats Stacy. I'm looking forward to seeing all my new friends from the Midcoast Triathlon Club. So I will race, and I'll have fun. I'll be glad I can because there will be a day I can't. So lace 'em tight boys and girls and take no prisoners!!! Here we go!!!!!