7/4/14. Friday. Yankee Doodle Dash

5k with friends.  I wasn't concerned about pace, i just wanted to see my friends get to the end.  it was a beautiful morning, sunny, not too hot.  just a fantastic day to run.  my wife and sons ran, as well as 3 friends from work and a friend's fiance.  this is a special race for me, it was my first 5K when i started running.  it was less than a month after i started running in 2011, and i had never ran 3 miles before.  i remember being so nervous.  I ran it with my friend Megan (first of several races T signed up for, then had to bow out with injuries).  its a small local event from the YMCA, well managed, very friendly, not too crowded.  nice run for a first time 5K, or to do with friends.

I have to admit i was a little disappointed with a friend.  I gave him all the tools he needed, but he chose not to use them.  i spent some time putting together a good plan, based off Hal, modified a little to allow some timed run days as opposed to mileage days, very reasonable, that would have gotten him to 5K on 7/4/14.  he got off plan, he didn't follow it, and it showed.  we had to walk several times in the race.  this was a 5K, mind you.  at one point, I thought he was having a heart attack.  complaining about being unable to take  a full breath in, having "needles" poking him in the chest/ribs.  I just remember thinking "oh well, at this point we're only a mile away from the finish and I'm sure there's a medic there" so i helped him finish it.  but he didn't follow his plan, and the outcome was predictable.  it's like Mike Allsop told me: pick a goal, create/follow a plan, get back up after your failures.  well, the following of the plan takes discipline and dedication.  I jsut don't understand how people can expect to get to their goals without putting in the work. 

or maybe I'm just crazy. I don't know.  but I'm going to stay on my plan and try as hard as i can to reach my goals.  but all in all, it was a great morning with friends and I am very glad to have had the chance to organize this run together.