3M Half Marathon

It's countdown time towards everyone's favorite half marathon - the 3M Half Marathon in Austin. For good reason this race holds a special place in my heart. It was the first long race I ran and the experience buoyed me for running my first full marathon 10 months later. Any time the 3M comes up on conversation with other runners, the reaction is almost always - yep, one of my favorite races. Why? Besides their deserved reputation as having one of the best "goody bags" of any race, anywhere, the 3M is in Austin, where the running culture is high. The course is overall downhill, making it a good race for setting a personal record (PR). In fact, my PR for a half marathon was set in 2008. Don't laugh, it's 2:16:22. I will ever be the first to admit that I am not an especially competitive runner. However, that doesn't keep me from plotting a new PR in 2010, maybe a 10 minute per mile pace which will put me across the finish line at 2:11:05.

Last year I ran the 3M as a relay with Zenna James and we turned in a respectable 2:02:58. The order in which we ran our legs is misreported in the "official" results from 2009. Zenna ran the first leg at a 9:48 pace and then I brought it home as the anchor, turning in a 9:00 pace. At some point Zenna asked her mother if she thought I was competitive.

"Don't know," she replied, "Why do you ask?"

"Because he ran his leg faster than I ran mine."

Apparently Zenna also thought I seemed a bit competitive when we would train together. I only remember once when we sprinted the final 60 yards or so at the end of a 4 mile run. Of course, she beat me, as you might expect. She was 21 at the time; I was 60. I bring this up for only a couple of reasons. One, as I mentioned, the 3M is regarded as an opportunity to run fast, or at least faster. What Zenna never knew is that with the exception of a hill or two the second leg is probably the faster part of the course. I simply took advantage of it. Second, we all have our reasons for running. I've been at it for a while and I think I can credit the sport with helping me over several hurdles mostly related to aging. I feel great when I run. My doctor tells me it's the best thing I can do for myself in combating the health issues which begin to come into focus when you round the 60 year mark.

In the case of Zenna and other young runners, life is more complicated and I imagine the time investment in running or whatever fitness regimen is preferred is easily deferred. "We'll get caught up later," is what I fear the younger people are saying. That's what I said when I was their age. Today, my doctor tells me that most of the health issues he is concerned about when he looks at recent blood work I had done reflect damage done many, many years ago, when I didn't exercise or watch my nutrition. The bottom line here is that if there is anything competitive about me, besides the fact that I love to challenge my own PRs, it is my desire to set some sort of example for any who might be watching me. If I can slog out 20-25 miles per week, you can too. This is SO important to anyone, at any age, but if you are one of those younger runners still wondering if it's something you really have time to do, consider this an investment in good health now and a lot fewer health issues as you grow older.

See you on the street, jogging, or at the next race. For the record, there is a 5500 runner cap for this year's 3M. As of today, January 7th, they are at 4,126. Don't miss the boat.