It feels weird to put this out there given the results photo I snapped, but today was something of a successful failure for me. It was a tough day. Tough logistically as well the bus headed to the start line seemingly didn’t know where to go. Tough emotionally and psychologically. Tough physically. Tough temporarily and humidity-ly. Tough with winds that always seemed to be headwinds. Tough in that it felt like a failure as I wasn’t able to hit my own personal, unstated and still unstated goal for the day.
The way I feel makes it seem like an inauspicious start to a new age bracket and to running in general. Some days are like that.
But rather than focus and drone on about my feelings of flopping today, here are a few “highlights” to obscure my own “lowlights.”
Here’s Mayor JoAnne H. Bush of Lake Village… she has her own safety vest!
Here’s a few shots from along the course… it was a lot of lonely areas. Good volunteers and aid stations every mile from mile 6, and the traffic officials (police, fire, crossing guards, etc) were all very helpful and supportive.
The big “money shot” of the course was the Greenville Bridge at mile 13. Here are a few pics from there.
It was a real struggle into the finish line. I barely made the sub 3:15 target for my newly minted BQ time requirement for my age group. It wouldn’t be enough to get into the race proper but it is a BQ.
Getting older means I’m now running as a “master.” I suppose that’s a nicer way of saying “old” but a wilted rose by any other name still dies.
THAT’S a dark way to end a post…
My time is “unofficial” they said and thus they couldn’t give me the award plaque. I couldn’t wait around for the time to be ruled “official” as I needed to get back to Memphis to catch my flight. As it was, I barely made it.
Story of the day, I suppose…