This past weekend I decided to run a local 5k road race. A week earlier I ran into my former track coach and he suggested I run in a race that he was organizing. Knowing his personality I perceived this as a "lets see what you have" dare. This was only one of the reasons I had to do this race.
A second reason was that the race was a memorial run for Dave Zucconi, a former athletic director at Brown University, who lost his battle with cancer five years ago. I may not have known it at the time, but Dave's commitment to providing opportunity to athletes from 'disadvantaged' backgrounds was a pertinent reason I was able to make the decision to come to Brown University as an undergraduate (a decision that has now shaped my life). I did not know him well, but always enjoyed his welcoming face in the hallway. Honoring him in this race was my pleasure.
Yet another reason I could not refuse the race was that my wife, Noi, had recently started doing 5km races and wanted me to do this race with her. Thus, began the first race we did together.
Before the race began my former coach heckled me continuously that I had to keep running after 400m or that I could not use blocks at the start. For most former sprinters the thought of a 5km race is of an ultradistance run, so I guess his comments were not too unexpected.
I learned one important thing from the race: a single 5km is much different that a 5km run as part of a triathlon...you actually need to race the entire distance! No conserving energy. I pushed myself to a finishing time of 18:16 winning my age group and the alumni division (much to the shock of my former coach who later asked if I still run). My wife got a personal best by nearly a minute (26:56) and beat many Brown lacrosse and football athletes (a great achievement as my wife had not really ran until this past year). My daughter Jai loved watching the finish and cheering 'go mommy!'
This was truly an enjoyable race and an excellent family experience.
A second reason was that the race was a memorial run for Dave Zucconi, a former athletic director at Brown University, who lost his battle with cancer five years ago. I may not have known it at the time, but Dave's commitment to providing opportunity to athletes from 'disadvantaged' backgrounds was a pertinent reason I was able to make the decision to come to Brown University as an undergraduate (a decision that has now shaped my life). I did not know him well, but always enjoyed his welcoming face in the hallway. Honoring him in this race was my pleasure.
Yet another reason I could not refuse the race was that my wife, Noi, had recently started doing 5km races and wanted me to do this race with her. Thus, began the first race we did together.
Before the race began my former coach heckled me continuously that I had to keep running after 400m or that I could not use blocks at the start. For most former sprinters the thought of a 5km race is of an ultradistance run, so I guess his comments were not too unexpected.
I learned one important thing from the race: a single 5km is much different that a 5km run as part of a triathlon...you actually need to race the entire distance! No conserving energy. I pushed myself to a finishing time of 18:16 winning my age group and the alumni division (much to the shock of my former coach who later asked if I still run). My wife got a personal best by nearly a minute (26:56) and beat many Brown lacrosse and football athletes (a great achievement as my wife had not really ran until this past year). My daughter Jai loved watching the finish and cheering 'go mommy!'
This was truly an enjoyable race and an excellent family experience.
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