Reaching a triumph, and paying the price

I ran the entire 3.1 miles of the United Way Spooktacular 5K route Wednesday, and when I finally dragged myself out of bed this morning at 5 a.m., even my hair hurt. I was SORE.

Three miles may not sound like a long distance for some of you, but for me, it was an extreme personal challenge. That's the longest distance I have run (or jogged, to be more specific) in at least 10 years, and I have to say I felt a great sense of accomplishment when I crossed the finish line behind the Shelbyville Recreation Center.

I had met up with staff writer Sadie Fowler at Deery Eakin Primary School, where the route begins, at 4:30 p.m. It was a beautiful afternoon for a run, and we set out at a slow pace designed for success.

Sadie is in better shape than I am, and has been training a lot harder than I have for tomorrow's 5K run. She has been running several times per week, and hit the 3-mile mark a week or two ago.

By contrast, I had jogged only twice in the last month -- meaning I had jogged only twice in the last ten years, since I got out of the Army.

I made it about a mile the first time and almost two miles the second time. So I wasn't too sure I would be able to complete the route without having to stop and walk. In fact, I really didn't think I could do it.

When we stepped off Wednesday, I started at a pace that was a little too fast, and wisely decided to allow Sadie to set the pace. I made a comment I had picked up in the Army, saying that we were running at an "Airborne Shuffle" pace.

Some of my friends in the Army were Airborne qualified, and told me that at the U.S. Army Airborne School (which I did not attend), they did a LOT of running, but they did it at a slower, more methodical pace so that they could travel longer distances. They called it the Airborne Shuffle. I now call it the Sadie Shufffle.

As we started shuffling along, she started making small talk.

At first I was able to participate in the conversation, but after about a mile, my answers were more like, "Yep .... gasp ... I ... gasp ... know ....what ... gasp ... you're ... gasp ... talkin' 'bout."

By the end of the second mile, I didn't have the wind to even say "yes" or "no," so we stopped talking.

The route is enjoyable and not too difficult, but there are a few small hills that look like nothing when you're driving but become like mountains when you're slogging up them for the first time on foot.

I started having my first real trouble when we were coming around the bend on Sun Circle. There's a slight uphill slant to it, and by that time, I was winded and my legs and back were beginning to feel the pain. I'm guessing this point is at about the two-mile mark.

But the hardest part of the route, by far, was right at the end, along Park Road. It has a gradual uphill grade that makes the last half mile the most difficult. That's where the real gut check happens, and Sadie and I were up to the task.

We finished the run in about 35 minutes, so we were running at about an 11-minute-mile pace. In my book, that's not too shabby, and I was exhilerated.

I don't think I could have finished the run without Sadie there to encourage and motivate me. It is so much easier for us to conquer life's challenges when we don't have to do it alone.

I'm looking forward to running in the actual event Saturday, however, I'm a little concerned about how well I will do, because my recovery from Wednesday's run has been slow.

I need all of you to come out there and either join us, or line the roads and cheer us on.

Although it's raining today, the National Weather Service says that will be over by morning, so don't let the fear of getting a little wet keep you away.

My Wednesday run capped off a moderately productive week for me, as far as exercise goes. I completed two 2-hour aerobics classes and ran five kilometers in a three-day stretch beginning Monday.

You'd think that would be enough to knock off a couple of pounds, but no ... I gained another two pounds this week and sit at 229. In the weight department, I'm not making much progress, so I better watch my caloric intake a little more closely.

I'll keep that in mind at the Jack Daniel's BBQ Cookoff tomorrow afternoon.

-- John Philleo is editor of the Times-Gazette. He can be reached at (931) 684-1200, ext. 218, or by e-mail at editor@t-g.com. This column is scheduled to print every Friday.