The Greenwood Campus 5K

Thee excitement was palpable as I stopped my truck, parked it, and slid out of cab. I walked across the parking lot Tuesday morning headed for a day of teaching and athletics. THE day had arrived.  

Thanks to some advance notice from Chief Manuel and a lot of promotion and bribery from Anita Horn and me, we had an all-time record number of participants registered for the 5K Walk/Run at the Greenwood Center of Mississippi Delta Community College.

Having an all-time record number wasn't too big of a trick seeing how this was only our second time-- last spring being our first--  and we had a whopping three participants then. But I think this may even be an all-time record for the main campus as well. We were set for a shindig.

The weather was predicted to be a bit warm but far from hot as summer has really shifted into fall here in the deep South. The course was improved over last spring. This time there would be no turn off Wade Road but a simplified out-and-back would make things easier for Chief and give us ambulators a smidgen of shade on the upper end. 

It was difficult for me to keep my mind on task throughout the morning. Next door, I could hear Mrs. Horn explaining the extra-credit her students were promised if they "beat Dr. Hodge." I now had a target on my back. Bring it on!

After school, I went home and tried to rest but I found myself as nervous as I had been in a long long time. Finally, I put on my shoes and shorts and headed back to the Center.

Chief checking everybody in.
Yeah, he's a big guy.

When I arrived, Chief was already there getting people signed in. We had registered over thirty, but only sixteen showed up. Not bad still, and I was excited as was everyone else.

Chief Manuel loaded us into the van, drove us to Wade Road, and then motored us over the course. Then back at the start, we unloaded and prepared for the send off. Last year, I faced only one other runner. This year, there were seven runners and nine walkers. I had competition.

Chief gave us the start and the kids were off like Jason was after them with a machete. I was the last runner for at least three tenths of a mile until I passed Sam, one of my American Literature and Creative Writing students, who probably has not run a day in his life. 

The leader was Jason who looked like he was running the 400 meters in the Olympics. Could he hold that? If he could, I was not only beaten, but whipped, stomped, embarrassed. Our new counselor, Katy Jones was ahead of me, and she was one of the ones I feared the most. At the last 300 Oaks she was ahead of me for 4.2 miles, so I knew she could go out harder than me and maybe hold for three miles. Also Jaleel, the young, lean, athletic weightlifter I beat last year, was running well and he had several months to actually train.

Next, I caught and passed Chelsea, a diminutive girl who ran with what looked like an efficient gait, but most likely she had not trained at all. Slowly, I reeled in and passed Mary who had run track in high school, but now is a big time barrel racer.

Up ahead, Jason was still running strong, or so it seemed, until he slowed to a walk. He can't hold, I thought as I saw his hands go to his hips. We were about a mile in, or I was, and I did the first one in 8:08. I had hoped for an 8:25 average for the day. I got sucked out too fast. Again. It's almost impossible not to.

I slowed over the next mile, but not as much as the other runners. Before the turnaround at half way, I passed Jason who was taking his second walk by then. Only Kay and Jaleel were ahead of me and the gap between the three of us was slowly shrinking. Still I had little confidence I could beat either of them. 

At the turnaround, there was maybe three to five seconds between us and over the next .25 that disappeared until we three ran side by side. That didn't last long, however, before I pushed a little and saw Katy was not going to fight back. Jaleel did fight back and stayed by my side a few second before falling in behind me on my heels.

By mile two, (8:25) I was all alone and running scared. I was fading like the summer sun at the end of a long day. I watched my watch almost constantly and tried to hold pace but failed to do so. At 2.25 I looked back and Jaleel was about 100 meters behind. Even then I was not overly confident. At 2.5 I looked back once more and saw that the gap was about the same. I got this, I thought as I shuffled in the last half and crossed the line feeling a bit ill and relieved all at the same time.

To my mild surprise, a minute later it was Katy, not Jaleel, who came in second and after another minute Jaleel strode in strongly looking a thousand times better than he had last spring.

My time was 25:22 for an average of 8:23 per mile, which is about what I thought I should be able to do. I am a little heavier but with many more miles of training than when I ran 8:31 last spring. That last mile this time was in a pitiful 8:46. Jaleel and I then walked back and ran the last .25 or so with all the other runners. I totaled 3.9 of running for the day, and 2.7 miles of walking. After the runners were all in, Jaleel and Sam and I walked back to Stephen who was the last walker and we accompanied him to the finish and then back to campus.

It was a good day and I think everyone enjoyed herself and himself. What could I have done if I had paced myself more wisely? I get a chance to answer that question this afternoon as I plan to drive to the main campus and compete in their 5K. If I can go out at 8:15, maybe I can hold that all the way through. We'll see.

Part of the group at the starting line