Winning isn’t everything

When I started running (and getting back to the gym on a regular basis) about two years ago, I made up my mind that I would do a 5K. I needed something to build up to, something concrete that I could put a framework around. I knew going in that there was no way I would win the 5K, heck I knew I’d be lucky to finish in the top ½ of the over 8000 runners participating in that run, but that wasn’t the point. The point was to keep moving and losing weight.

I finished that race somewhere near the middle of the pack and for me, that was a win…my Personal Best (PB) had been established…but, momentum is a funny thing…I kept running 3 times a week, an object in motion…later that summer I decided to try a second run…much smaller, only about 300 participants, I set a new PB by a couple of minutes.

I did another race on New Year’s Eve, no official time, just a fun race with my good friend Sharon who introduced me to Brenda and Steve two of her elite multi-sport athlete friends...at another race in mid-January I met Sharon’s coach (and elite multi-sport athlete in her own right) Jane…the thing Sharon, Brenda,Steve and Jane all have in common is that they always have such positive energy, offer lots of support and encouragement, and freely share their knowledge and experience and provide guidance to newbies like me who might otherwise not continue.

I ran a few 10K races with my step-daughter this year and I like to think I am closer to her now than I have ever been, sharing those experiences for me was priceless!

I competed in a Canoe-bike-run triathlon relay with my son and two High School buddies, Tim and Rod and we shared a fantastic day with our families.

I competed in a few Duathlons this past year and met some great athletes, volunteers, organizers and supporters.

In 2010, the relay triathlon is scheduled again (Go BERT42!), a late season family triathlon relay is also scheduled and a few more races will likely dot the calendar as the months unfold. I hope to see you out there in one capacity or another.

So why race if you KNOW you won’t win?

I haven’t won an event yet, but I’ve gained so much, as cliché as it sounds, racing has and continues to change my life for the better, not only by what I am doing for myself and my health, but by the people I meet or the people that I get to spend time with sharing in such positive experiences…to all of you, thank you for being a part of this journey, whether you knew it or not.