It was only supposed to be a normal fall party with cornhole on the grass, chili on the stove and friends around the fire.
But after two drinks, I made about the sixth-worst choice one can make under such circumstances: I committed to running a trail half marathon with my wife this winter.
At the time, it seemed like a great idea. I’ve been running consistently for almost 10 years now and have raced every distance from one mile to 50K. A 13.1-mile stroll in the woods should be a piece of cake, right?
That’s how I overconfidently framed it for myself, anyway.
But now that training is in full swing with about four months until race day, reality is starting to set in.
I thought, or perhaps I was hoping, that my wife Sarah might just forget about this commitment to a cold day in the woods. The exact opposite has been true. She is nailing her workouts and looking better every day. Sarah even added the Turkey Trot to her running schedule as a tune-up race.
I’m trying to keep up with the long run portion of her training regiment, by either running with her or matching her distance on my own. It has not been easy.
I’m still a bit soft around the edges, and last weekend’s 4.5-mile run around the neighborhood showed me just how much work I need to do.
My legs felt heavy and tired at the half-mile mark, and I was already catching myself just wanting the run to be over. All you can do in such a situation is quit, or file those thoughts to the back of your mind and focus on the next foot forward. I chose the latter.
My legs eventually loosened up, but I could feel the side stitches creep in around two and a half miles. It would be fine to quit, here, I thought to myself; you’ve done enough. But with one piece of knowledge in my mind — that Sarah already completed this distance with a smile on her face — I kept pushing forward, huffing and puffing, until I finally reached that 4.5-mile mark by negative splitting down the stretch.
My legs were throbbing and my feet were sore. I wanted to take a nap in the shower. But for as beat up and out of shape as I was, I felt a confidence boost, just knowing that my mind can still dictate the terms of the run to my body, instead of the other way around.
There are plenty of things I need to work on, everything from cross training to my diet, but thanks to a little peer pressure from my wife I’m actually looking forward to the process.
There’s no turning back now, not with the whole party keeping tabs on me.
1 STEP BACK, 3 STEPS FORWARD
Already in the USATF recordbooks for her efforts as an endurance runner, Chambersburg’s Laurie Dymond got to be part of a world record last weekend at the New York City Marathon.
Dymond, along with 55,524 other runners, was part of the largest-ever marathon field. The 58-year-old Dymond didn’t just take part in the race, she dominated with a time of 3:25:07 to finish 14th in the 55-59 AG, a group that included 1,364 runners. Leila Reese, also from Chambersburg, finished the race in 4:26:19.
In Chambersburg, girl power was the theme at the Go Girls Go 5K, a race that drew 180 runners. Liam Coy won the race in 20:39, while fellow Chambersburg runner Braelyn Wenger was top female in 22:30. Other Top 10 finishers from the race include Chambersburg’s Hayden Pereschuk (2nd in 21:31), Jackson Faith (3rd in 21:39), Logan Bert (4th in 22:25), Taliya Reber (6th in 22:44), Atlea Pereschuk (8th in 23:03), and Darcy Aurand (9th in 24:28), and Scotland’s Lakelyn Kemp (10th in 24:28).
Adams County served as the scenic backdrop for a pair of races: The Jonny Tomasello Memorial 5K in Biglerville and the Haunted Wine Run 5K in Orrtanna. Amanda Turner, of Fayetteville, finished as second female in 22:14 at the Tomasello 5K, while Chambersburg’s Leanne Ludwick (7th in 25:58) and Fairfield’s Mark Parry (10th in 26:27) were Top 10 finishers in Orrtanna.
Runners from the Local.News coverage area flocked to Washington, D.C., for Marine Corps Marathon Weekend to take on a trio of races. The marathon featured big efforts from Waynesboro’s Austin Kassman (3:38:41) and Michael Ritenour (3:59:02), Hagerstown’s Mike Martin (3:42:19) and Isaiah Dell (3:55:00), and Chambersburg’s Dustin Walker (4:08:15). Tesa Stinson, of Chambersburg, cloced a 59:12 at the MCM 10K, while the 50K featured big efforts from Hagerstown’s Lauren Cramer (3:52:40) and Bryan Seifarth (3:54:59).
The Hot Cider Hustle 5K/10K in Harrisburg drew more than 1,000 runners, including several locals. Waynesboro’s Jim Painter (22:53) and Fayetteville’s Brian Baughman (25:23) both earned AG hardware in the 5K, while Hagerstown’s Caitlin Dempsey led area runners in the 10K with a time of 54:55.
A number of others were active in races across the region and beyond, including Greencastle’s Thelma Reibsome (2:00:14 at Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon) and Danielle Defelice (4:43:59 at The View 25K), Chambersburg’s Eric Guyer (25:54 at Gulliver’s 5K), Danielle Rhoads (1:48:24 at Disney Wine & Dine 10K), Anthony Cosentino (1:56:33 at Seawitch Half Marathon), and Stacy Guyer (3:02:23 at Schaeffer Half Marathon), Smithsburg’s Jonathan Kisas (1:43:08 at Ocean City Half Marathon) and Tyler Miles (4:14:40 at Ocean City Marathon), Fairfield’s Max Holz (23:20 at Ocean City 5K), Hagerstown’s Thomas Williams (27:16 at Ghost 5K), Benjamin Bohrer (56:38 at Oktoberfest 5-Miler), Rylan Cox (1:04:10 at Port to Fort 6K), and Wesley Beppler (42:30 at Ocean City 8K).
And finally, a shoutout to Hagerstown’s Bryan Durboraw, who was the seventh-place finisher in 6:04:59 at the Fire on the Mountain 50K in Little Orleans, Md. Angela Rhoderick-Kesecker, of Hagerstown, completed the Fire on the Mountain 25K in 3:01:01.
And now, a look ahead:
Hawk Hustle 5K: Saturday, 9 a.m., in Hanover. Compete in this race and benefit Hanover athletes in the process. Search for the race on runsignup.com.
Harrisburg Marathon: Sunday, 7:30 a.m., in Harrisburg. Half marathon and relay options are also available for this race, a staple in Harrisburg since 1973. Find the race on runsignup.com.
Dover 10 Miler: Sunday, Nov. 17, 1 p.m., in Dover. The York Road Runners Club kicks off its Winter Series with this race, the first of nine races. Check out the event on yorkroadrunners.com.
Also: Brighter Futures 5K (Saturday, in Manheim); Ninja 1M/5K/10K/15K/13.1M (Saturday, in York); Resilient Service Members Classic 5K/20M/50K (Saturday, in Hookstown); Rocky Run 5K/10M/13.1M (Saturday, in Philadelphia); Valley Trail Run 14 Miler (Saturday, in New Holland); Ninja 1M/5K/10K/15K/13.1M (Saturday, in Westminster, Md.); St. Luke’s RaceFest (Sunday, in Allentown); Wyoming Valley Striders 20K (Sunday, in Shickshinny); Run the Glen Glow Run 5K (Friday, Nov. 15, in Lebanon); Penn Relays 5K (Saturday, Nov. 16, in Philadelphia); Reidenbaugh Turkey Trot 5K (Saturday, Nov. 16, in Lititz); Veterans Day 5K Color Run (Saturday, Nov. 16, in Big Cove Tannery); Viking 5K/10K (Saturday, Nov. 16, in Akron); Zombie Fun Run 5K (Saturday, Nov. 16, in Mountville).
