Running With The Big Dawgs

I admire the people that been bitten by the running bug. Many of these people aren’t super athletes or longtime runners, but each one has embraced the lifestyle of putting one foot in front of the other, a few miles at a time. I’m not one of these people. After my 5K adventure last April, I promptly dropped off the face of the map when it came to running. I can list off a ton of excuses (a hectic work schedule, the impending birth of Mary and I’s first child, alien abduction), but in reality, I just didn’t want to do it.

I had numerous people tell me that once I finished my first 5K, I’d want to do it again and again. That didn’t happen. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy my race and the journey to get there, it was just that my desire to continue running was knocked down and stomped on by my desire to stop running. I’ve thought off and on about trying to get myself back on track and try another 5K, but I’ve resisted the temptation so far. The strongest pull to lace up my Asics once again came recently with running of the inaugural Big Dawg Dare just outside of Litchfield.

The course for the Big Dawg is a nice easy 5K run, except it’s anything but easy. With competitors running up hills, through culverts, over walls and through water, the course resembles more of a boot camp obstacle course than your typical 3.1 mile jaunt. It also looks like a lot of fun. As I covered the race for the paper, I watched runner after runner splash through the final obstacle with a tired smile that conveyed not only relief that they were almost to the finish line, but also a sense of accomplishment. That’s one of the things I miss about running. I miss the thought that I accomplished something that depended solely on my abilities.

As hard as I tried to ignore the pangs of guilt for not signing up myself as I sat near the finish line, the nagging feeling that I should be out there as well kept creeping in. But I realize you can’t undo the past, although you can take advantage of opportunities in the future.

With that in mind, I’m here to say I will be participating in the second annual Big Dawg Dare, providing the event continues (and talking to race coordinators Brian Hollo and Jim Hewitt after the race, all signs point to the fact that it will go on). Hopefully I can convince my siblings to partake in the event with me. While Shane was busy at school, Mikaela and Daniel both ran the first 5K with me and the picture of all of us after the race is one of my favorites.

This pledge doesn’t mean that I’m all the sudden going to catch the running bug, although I will definitely do some training after watching people much more in shape than I suck wind after their run. It’s just an opportunity to prove to myself that I can do this. I can accomplish something far outside of my comfort zone. I can get off the porch and run with the big dogs.