Sometimes the boy just has to do it

So, 2 weeks tomorrow is the London Marathon. Yes, all of us who are running it are tapering, but today was the Purple Plume 5K for my daughter's high school band. Lovely weather, mid 60s at the start about 70 something at the end. I decided to just go out for a jog, not risk injury and not try to keep up with the teenagers.

So, race time. I line up with the seniors (for you not in the US, these are the kids in the last year of high school, 17 and 18 year olds). The horn goes off and the start is on a running track, as is the end. I go off a bit faster than I planned but soon got into my cadence.

No music today, just listening to my breathing, keeping it steady. Nice flat course. Slight breeze. I lost sight of the kids, they were off and gone (probably a dozen of them), but I kept going.

With about half a mile to go there was a youngster (11 year old) who stopped running. I talked to him and got him back jogging with me, encouraging him on until we got back on the track. Then he found his second wind and sprinted to the finish winning a medal for his age group!!! I finished without a sprint, remember I'm tapering. I felt great, not even out of breath. No injuries so life is good.

Now, it's time for the trophies, you know ones like this...

Hmm, that looks nice one. Come to think about it, I've never won a trophy for running. I've got a few medals, a couple of 2nd and 3rd in my age. So, the overall was won by one of those seniors with a time of just over 15 minutes!!!! What was he drinking. I've never broken 24 and he gets 15!!

Now, how did I do? Well, I am ashamed to say I went too fast. I finished in 22 minutes and change. So, not sure how I managed to run that fast, but I'll take it. Now, about that trophy.....

Yes, it's mine:) Now, slow down for London.